We can see them from the departmental 920. On their colored fuselages, we can read the names of sometimes prestigious companies: British Airways, Hongkong Airlines, Egyptair, Volotea, Azul… It has been a while since the traffic had been as intense on the 'Marcel-Dassault airport of Châteauroux (Indre), a former NATO base which has seriously returned to service thanks to the coronavirus epidemic.
“A plane that does not fly must be maintained. You have to run the reactors, run the trains, open the cabins, lubricate the parts, check the electrical and hydraulic systems, most of these planes will leave. They must be ready, almost overnight, ”explains Didier Lefresne, the airport manager.
British Airways has stored eleven of the twelve A380s in its fleet on site. Why did she choose Indre? The British air giant does not wish to speak on the subject. “Our position in the center of France is strategic. We were also in competition with British airports, but we won the market because our offer is more attractive financially ”explains Didier Lefresne.
25 hectare car park
Marcel-Dassault Airport, owned by the Center-Val de Loire region, benefits from a precious asset: space. Marcel Dassault created the structure in 1936, the Americans then developed it between 1951 and 1967, by building a track of 2500 meters. The platform has 25 hectares of parking which can store a maximum of aircraft.
Several maintenance companies provide daily maintenance, except for the A380. Which should be possible next year with the construction of a dedicated hangar. In the meantime, the airport has also tripled its freight activity, particularly sanitary (masks, coveralls, gel, gloves). Again, its location in the center of the country, bordering the A20 motorway, on the Paris-Toulouse axis is an asset.
