Bordeaux Airport ended 2018 by setting a new traffic record with 6,799,572 passengers, just one year after reaching the symbolic milestone of 6 million passengers carried. With 576,000 additional passengers, 2018 was the airport’s best year on record. By the summer of 2018, the number of passengers had doubled compared to 2009, heralding the 9th year of continuous growth. For traffic on routes to Paris (Orly and Charles-de-Gaulle) alone, given the context of targeted SNCF competition on the high-speed train line, Bordeaux Airport grew by +17.8% (or 839,000 additional passengers), which is the best growth since the creation of the airport company.
This exceptional dynamism was buoyed by the powerful international market of nearly 3,800,000 passengers, i.e. more than half of all passengers for an increase of +21.2%. This exponential growth is driven to a large extent by low-cost flights, which continue to progress and achieved a record growth rate of +22.1%. This tremendous dynamism is reported by all low-cost operators, mainly easyJet, which confirmed its leading position by establishing a long-term base in Bordeaux last spring.
At the height of the summer season, Bordeaux Airport served an unprecedented 99 direct destinations, including 27 new destinations. All these routes are operated by 31 airlines, including two new airlines in 2018: SWISS and Air Baltic. The international expansion of routes from Bordeaux is a long-term process and in 2018 represented 80% of new routes. The intercontinental hubs are getting stronger. Air France has maintained its six daily flights to Paris Charles-de-Gaulle and 10 daily flights to Paris-Orly. The Lufthansa Group is continuing its development strategy in the Frankfurt, Zurich and Brussels hubs. With over 13 international direct flight platforms, connecting travel from Bordeaux is becoming increasingly efficient.
Nevertheless, the number of aircraft movements increased by only 4% this year, another illustration that growth is driven by high-capacity aircraft (150 – 200 seats).
In view of these major successes, 2018 is the pivotal year of a plan to improve the quality of service and infrastructures at the airport over the next five years, supported by a €140 million investment programme.
11/01/2019