French MP fears for future of Clermont-Ferrand airport
Airport needs a €10 million subsidy from the state, she says
The airport is at risk of closure without state subsidies, and the reinstatement of an Orly link, say locals
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Clermont-Ferrand airport could be at risk of closure, a local MP has said, prompting calls for a €10million subsidy from the government.
The airport in central France, which offers a direct Ryanair flight to London Stansted, has been struggling since 2020.
Its net income has remained negative since then, despite an annual turnover of around €14million, reports Le Parisien.
“[The airport’s] survival depends on an urgent search for a viable economic balance,” said Delphine Lingemann, MP for Puy-de-Dôme.
Open letter asks for subsidies and air link
Brice Hortefeux, president of the Syndicat Mixte de l’Aéroport Clermont-Ferrand Auvergne (SMACFA), has joined Ms Lingemann in asking for €10million from the state to help the airport to stay open.
He argued “the state should take responsibility” after having asked airports to remain open during the pandemic, despite the measures taken to halt or limit air traffic.
Ms Lingemann recently addressed an open letter to the Prime Minister and Transport Minister. In it, she wrote: “French airport operators perform sovereign tasks on behalf of the state, particularly in the area of security.
“In return, the state reimburses the operator for a tiny fraction of the expenses incurred, which are nevertheless estimated at €10million [for us] by 2030. If this €10million is not converted into a subsidy, it could put an end to our airport’s operations.”
Local officials are also calling for the reopening of the Clermont-Ferrand–Paris-Orly air link, which was suspended during the pandemic. Since this closure, the airport serves Paris only via Roissy-Charles-de-Gaulle with Air France’s domestic service HOP! – and only to its more remote Terminal 2G.
“The airport is fortunate to remain connected via three daily rotations to Paris via CDG, which is not the case for all local airports in France, post-pandemic,” the SMACFA told The Connexion.
This lack of an Orly link has, however, been linked to a reduction in passenger use, with a significant drop in traffic compared to 2019:
- 2019 annual commercial traffic: more than 400,000 passengers;
- 2023 and 2024: 230,000 passengers.
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As a result, the airport has suffered even more financially, say officials. Passenger numbers are increasing but remain far from pre-Covid levels.
“For local airports like Clermont-Ferrand, post-Covid traffic will never be high enough to repay the loan granted by the government,” said the SMACFA.
Major companies including Michelin, Aubert & Duval, Constellium and Limagrain have also petitioned for the reopening of the Orly air link.
A 2023 poll by independent Clermont-Ferrand travel lobby association Objectif Capitales, reported by Le Parisien, found that 67% of 220 local businesses considered this link to be important or essential, with 17% saying they used it every week, and 46% using it at least once a month.
Ms Lingemann said the results “highlight the undeniable value of reopening the Clermont-Orly line”. She added that a link to Orly would become even more important in future years, “especially since the extension of line 14 of the Paris metro, which provides easier access to the heart of the capital”.
Railway line problems
Local railway links have also been beset with problems. Recent protests called out the deterioration of the POLT (Paris-Orléans-Limoges-Toulouse) and Clermont-Ferrand-Paris lines, which have suffered increasing delays and cancellations.
There has long been debate about whether all of France’s regional airports can survive long-term. The country has more regional airports with scheduled commercial service than any other EU country.
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