Chairman of the Management Board of Aéroports de Lyon, Tanguy Bertolus, drew up this Wednesday the annual report of the airports of Lyon-Saint-Exupéry and Bron. A positive report after two years of difficulties for air traffic: 4.5 million passengers used these airports in 2021. Even if this is still 60% less than before the pandemic, in 2019 , this is 6% more than in 2020. “We expect to be closer to the figures of 2019, and welcome this year between 7 and 9 million travelers,” said Tanguy Bertolus.
With regard to freight transport, the dynamic recovery continued, in particular thanks to pharmaceutical freight, which represents strong activity in Lyon, but also thanks to the arrival of Qatar Airways at Saint-Exupéry airport and its cargo flight dedicated. The Chairman of the Management Board of Aéroports de Lyon stresses that this 7% increase in freight traffic compared to 2020 is “a key indicator of significant economic life.”
The world has gradually opened its borders, leading Lyon Saint-Exupéry airport to offer more than 100 destinations for the year 2022. “In comparison, we offered 80 in 2021, and only 40 in 2020” specified Tanguy Bertolus. “For this year, long-haul routes such as Montreal, Dubai, and connections to global hubs in London, Dublin, Munich or Vienna are open again,” he continues. Nine new direct destinations compared to 2019 are accessible from Lyon-Saint-Exupéry: Larcana on the island of Cyprus, Dakar in Senegal, Santorini and Kos in Greece, Réunion, Kayseri in Turkey, Bari in Italy, Krakow in Poland and finally Belgrade in Serbia.
Tanguy Bertolus took advantage of this report to present the ambitions in terms of customer experience and ecological transition at the heart of a flagship project: the renovation of terminal 2, commonly known as “T2”. And this, thanks to an investment of 30 million euros. “It may be more complex to renovate a terminal than to build a new one, but it really is less expensive,” he defends. “This renovation has three objectives: to have better energy performance, a better customer experience, and a better commercial experience.” T2 would be standardized like Terminal 1. It would also be HQE (High Environmental Quality) certified, would be equipped with more efficient equipment, which would improve the fluidity of baggage checks, and would welcome new shops.
Aware of the impact for travelers and companies, the airport should transfer all flights operated from T2 to T1 for an effective closure. The infrastructures will be adapted to accommodate these new links.
As for the carbon impact of ground activities at this airport, reducing residual carbocation boils down to many projects by 2026, particularly in terms of energy, the airport’s lights will be replaced by LEDs, new biogas shuttles will be deployed, green electricity will be favored thanks to 50% biogas operation this year and 100% in 2025.
A new car park, P3, will be created to facilitate access to terminal 1: more than 2,000 spaces will be available. The development of electric charging stations is also undertaken there. The airport also plans to create a 3ha photovoltaic farm above the roof of the next P3 car park.
The airport’s residual emissions, which are expected to decrease to 500 tonnes per year by 2026, will be “Locally sequestered with a reforestation project near the airport, which will also contribute to the preservation of biodiversity in the territory,” details Tanguy Bertolus
The airport is also committed to decarbonization by encouraging airlines to equip themselves with less emissive aircraft: “It is through the increase in the modulation of landing fees for the most polluters,” he explains.
Last environmental measure of Lyon-Saint-Exupéry: the development of the use of hydrogen. A hydrogen station will be installed from 2023 “for the supply of light commercial vehicles and part of the parking shuttles, in partnership with the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Region,” continues the Chairman of the Management Board of Aéroports de Lyon. The airport then plans to install a gaseous green hydrogen distribution station for heavy mobility between 2024 and 2025, in partnership with Airbus and Air Liquide. The long-term objective is the democratization of the production, storage and distribution of liquid green hydrogen necessary for the use of this energy on the ground as well as on board aircraft.
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