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Information, transparency with variable geometry but no major announcement.
This is how to summarize the public meeting, organized Tuesday evening by videoconference by the General Directorate of Civil Aviation (DGAC), on the subject of the redevelopment of Nantes airport.
This project, which is struggling to take off, arousing the anger of elected officials and local business leaders, has nevertheless made some progress since the abandonment of the creation of a new infrastructure in Notre-Dame-des-Landes.
The DGAC preferred to insist on this rather than to evoke the
“irritating subjects”
as declared by Paolo Ferreira, the president of the collective of the citizens exposed to the air traffic of the Nantes-Atlantique airport (Coceta).
For example, if the call for tenders concerning the choice of the new concessionaire to whom the State will entrust the management of the airport -
"a point which generates high expectations and frustrations"
, according to the DGAC - has been mentioned , almost no items filtered out.
"We cannot say more because of the confidentiality requirements of the procedure"
, indicated Nils Raynaud, the director of the Nantes-Atlantique project within the DGAC.
A formulation criticized and regretted by several participants.
The only concession, if one can say so, will have been about the calendar.
Due to a delay, the successful candidate will be known
"during 2023"
.
For more details, we will have to wait.
On the other hand, on other points, details have been given.
Here's what you need to know.
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Curfew: a recent “improvement”
Closely scrutinized by local residents, a curfew came into effect on April 8 at Nantes airport.
Its principle: to prevent take-offs or landings of planes between midnight and six o'clock in the morning in order to preserve the tranquility of the inhabitants of the sector.
"The first months were not satisfactory, which generated strong reactions"
, admitted the representative of the DGAC.
But
"since the end of the year an improvement has been noted"
, he added.
It would be the result of the sanctions put in place against airlines that exceed the limits.
At the end of February, 232 reports had been drawn up: 39 files had already been processed and 33 sanctions pronounced.
In total, the fines amount to €496,000, or an average of €15,000 per offence.
"It's a fairly significant sum for a company"
, according to Nils Raynaud who promised that, for 2023, compliance with the curfew should be
"much better"
.
Air corridor: a failed experiment
From September to November, the DGAC experimented with a new air corridor to the south of the Nantes metropolitan area.
Objective: to relieve some of the noise pollution suffered by the inhabitants of the municipality of La Chevrolière by establishing a new turning point.
The cure was worse than the disease.
"We didn't see what we expected.
The number of people impacted was higher than that envisaged in the preliminary study.
There was a postponement of noise pollution further south, which generated strong reactions that we can understand
,” admitted Nils Raynaud.
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Some residents of Saint-Philbert-de-Grand-Lieu and their mayor still remember it.
The latter, very reassembled at the time, remains suspicious.
In mid-February, he explained to Le
Figaro
that he feared a new air corridor experiment over his town in the near future.
What he “categorically”
refused
.
The DGAC did not mention such a project.
“The interest of the State is to find the best possible compromise, not to create new nuisances or to postpone them elsewhere”
, defended Nils Raynaud.
Dual approach: a “mixed” scenario
The planes coming from the North and flying over the Loire above Nantes before landing at the nearby airport, it's (almost) soon over.
The DGAC has confirmed the implementation of a dual approach in the coming years for the
"southern landings"
.
This is a
“security measure”
as recalled by the DGAC.
It is linked to the installation of a guidance system (ILS) which should help the pilots in their manoeuvre.
This tool creates a constraint: that the planes follow a straight trajectory before touching the ground.
However, in Nantes, the current approach is
“offset by 12°”
.
Presentation of Nantes airport redevelopment projects.
DGAC
This modification, expected for 2025, has the effect of exposing more inhabitants of the city of Nantes to noise pollution.
They will be mitigated by a slight increase in the slope on the approach to Nantes which will cause the planes to fly a little higher than today.
Another element: the current offset approach will be maintained in case of good weather.
The DGAC therefore qualifies the future system
as a “mixed approach depending on weather conditions”
.
On the other hand, the scenario of a non-overflight of Nantes, is not for tomorrow.
"Currently, there is no technical capacity to do so
," explained Nils Raynaud.
For him, this issue could be discussed again by 2034-2035.
Lengthening of the runway: “heard” questions
It has been the choice of the State since 2019. The runway at Nantes airport, 3 kilometers long, must be extended by 400 meters to the south.
The objective is for planes coming from the North to land a little further on the ground in order to fly higher over the city of Nantes and thus reduce noise pollution for certain inhabitants of the metropolis.
Except that this choice, estimated at 50 million euros in particular because of land acquisitions of agricultural land to be made, is far from unanimous.
If it still seems to be on the agenda, a reversal of the situation on this point cannot be ruled out if we are to believe the DGAC.
“A lot of questions have been raised.
They have been heard by the State and are being studied”
, soberly mentioned Nils Raynaud.
No cap on air traffic
Many of the changes envisaged by the DGAC relating to noise pollution, a chapter of the information meeting was devoted to the noise exposure plan (PEB) of Nantes-Atlantique.
According to the organization's projections, more than 64,000 people could live in a "low noise zone" by 2040 if nothing is done.
With the corrective measures programmed, this figure would drop to 37,000 people, or 27,0000 less.
On the other hand, this would not change anything for “moderate” or “loud” noise zones.
Statistics mocked by some.
Obsolete document
The DGAC has acknowledged that the document summarizing the current noise exposure plan for Nantes-Atlantique airport is
“obsolete”
since it dates back to the early 2000s. It should be revised by 2025.
Paolo Ferreira, the president of Coceta criticized
"bogus graphics"
and other participants of
"ineffective measures"
.
The increase in air traffic is feared by residents who fear a
"catastrophe"
.
Some have therefore questioned the DGAC on a possible cap on air traffic at Nantes airport.
“Traffic restrictions are highly regulated at European level due to the principle of free movement.
They can only be done as a last resort.
Today we have this curfew.
It is not planned to cap traffic
,” replied Nils Raynaud.
“Unique” aid for local residents
During the information meeting, Pascal Otheguy, secretary general of the prefecture of Loire-Atlantique, returned to the
“new and unique”
devices put in place for residents living near Nantes airport.
They are two in number and concern owners who acquired or rebuilt a property between December 31, 2010 and January 17, 2018.
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The first is the right of surrender.
Addressed to the owners of an area where the noise is "loud", it allows them to ask the State to acquire their property at a purchase price supposed to compensate for the possible lower appreciation or depreciation of their property. ownership due to the maintenance of the airport on the Nantes-Atlantique site.
At the end of February, 14 of the 19 files submitted were recognized as
“eligible”
.
Seven properties have already been acquired by the State.
The other seven are
“under acquisition”
.
In total, this device should
"eventually cost"
around 20 million euros to the State according to Nils Raynaud.
Homeowners living in a “moderate” noise exposure zone can benefit from pension assistance.
This system also makes it possible to compensate for any depreciation of their property due to the maintenance of the current airport.
At the end of February, the prefecture identified 4
“eligible”
files out of five.
“This measure has little or no impact due to the tension on the real estate market in the Nantes metropolitan area
,” explained Pascal Otheguy.
