Nice walkers were almost surprised.
Where were the Airbuses and other Boeings that were flying over the Baie des Anges and its
nostrum pond
?
The health crisis had interrupted and then slowed down these ballets from the sky, whose cabins shade certain streets of Old Nice as they pass.
2020 then 2021 have been difficult years for all airports and that of Nice Côte d'Azur, the second in France after that of Paris, has not escaped this.
Especially since two thirds of the traffic is international.
The management teams have remained patient and optimistic, convinced that their airport will recover faster than the others.
"We were convinced that we
would benefit the most from the recovery because the territory is landlocked but attractive
"
,
specifies Aymeric Staub, in charge of communication at the airport.
“
The plane therefore remains essential to come to Nice
”.
A recovery rate of 84%
The figures prove them right: 12.12 million commercial travelers passed through Nice's tarmacs in 2022, almost double compared to the previous year.
This corresponds to a recovery rate of 84%, a bit better than expected.
The reopening of Terminal 1 (for international flights) materialized very quickly, from March 27, encouraging this rebound in activity.
"
It was a commitment never to be an obstacle to the recovery and this made it possible to better prepare for the return of mid-summer traffic, to preserve the good operational performance and to avoid the problems encountered by other European platforms
" , adds the chairman of the executive board, Franck Goldnadel.
If connections have been reinforced (North America with New York and Montreal), others have stopped: those with Russia (Moscow and Saint-Petersburg) and Ukraine (kyiv), because of the war .
These flights represented many additional passengers, the region being very attractive for them.
“The ambition is to loosen the knot around Aéroports de Paris (ADP) and to have more direct lines from Nice”
Aymeric Staub, communication manager at Nice airport
In 2023, the passenger flow should remain similar and will not return to the pre-Covid period.
This does not prevent the airport from undertaking expansion work on Terminal 2, with six new boarding gates planned.
Behind this, an ambition:
"to loosen the knot around the Aéroports de Paris (ADP) and have more direct lines from Nice"
, says Aymeric Staub.
New connections are already expected, particularly to the Middle East.