She modestly conceals her rounded belly as a future mother.
Justine Coutard, 35, the new director of Orly airport, watches over her staff and her travelers like a mother protecting her little ones.
“It is often said that Orly is like a big family,” she confides.
As the airline is experiencing one of the most serious crises in its history linked to the Covid-19 pandemic, its role becomes all the more crucial to hold the bar in the midst of the storm.
Your profile is rather atypical for an airport manager ...
Justine Coutard.
Indeed !
After the ENA, I became a financial inspector.
Then I joined Aéroports de Paris (ADP), a world of enthusiasts to which we quickly become attached.
At Roissy from 2015 to 2017, I worked in operations - general management of operations, investments, customer quality - then I was in the finance, management and strategy department.
From 2017 to 2020, I joined the Ministry of Public Accounts alongside Gérald Darmanin, of which I became the chief of staff.
What is your role, especially in these troubled times for the air industry?
My mission is very broad.
I coordinate the work between the 1,260 ADP employees in Orly, half of whom are in partial activity, the approximately 30,000 workers on the platform, in partnership with the airlines, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGAC) , the border police (PAF), subcontractors… An airport is an anthill where information must be fluid, all the more so in times of crisis where it is necessary to adjust from day to day.
How were your first months?
The start was brutal.
I took up my post on October 26: the second confinement was announced on the 28th. We had to manage the withdrawal of our infrastructure.
But I had prepared myself for this upset context.
After a rather good summer and All Saints' Day holidays (45% of traffic compared to 2019), the confinement brought to an abrupt halt.
Traffic collapsed to 15%.
Fortunately, Christmas experienced a positive dynamic, driven by the Overseas Territories.
In the end, Orly's activity fell by 66.1% in 2020. In 2021, we have around 15,000 passengers per day, or 20% of normal.
The most difficult is to navigate by sight, to depend on sanitary measures, when I have to bring a long-term vision.
But I rely on a strong, united, efficient team that is never discouraged.
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What prospects does the future hold for Orly?
We take advantage of no longer being in the traffic race to accelerate the “greening” of our activities.
Our objectives: 80% of our heat produced in a carbon-free manner in 2024 (Orly is already partially heated by geothermal energy and the Rived waste incinerator), develop biodiversity with the Bird Protection League (Orly already lists 86 bird species), lower light and heat to save energy, run planes on the tracks with electricity and no longer with kerosene (E-taxiing)… On March 18, we launched the facial recognition experiment upon boarding.
On the other hand, the project for a new international shopping area at Orly 4 (“La rue parisienne”, 3,200 m 2 of stores) has been postponed.
The new boarding area and the new baggage sorting associated with it have indeed been built but will open to the public depending on the resumption of traffic.
How do you work for the Orly Environmental Noise Prevention Plan (PPBE) currently being drafted?
We are working with the DGAC to develop continuous descent approach procedures, which are less noisy.
This is a strong demand from residents.
Orly has 1.2 million inhabitants within its impact area.
We must live in harmony with them without, however, jeopardizing the economic equilibrium of the companies.
We are also considering banning the noisiest planes at critical times, early in the morning and late at night.
