A new record for the airport with a progression of 7.1%, mainly due to the increase of European traffic. Air littoral (+33%) becomes the second company.
Almost 8.7 million passengers in 1999, that's is to say an increase of 7.1% compared to 1998 : the Nice Côte d'Azur international airport keeps on growing. It even keeps growing beyond expectations since the traffic increase that was scheduled in the previsions for 1999 was up to 5%.
Still international
Like previous years, the international traffic is the pacemaker : with 3.9 million passengers, it increases by 10.4%. To be more precise, we'd better talk about European traffic (3.537.000 over 3.9 million passengers and a progression of 11.7%). In the same time, the share of the international traffic is getting bigger in the total traffic : it was 37% in 1996, it is up to 45% in 1999 and it is likely to surpass the national traffic at that rhythm.
A national traffic which is still developing. With 4.8 million passengers, it has increased by 4.5%. The sole Nice-Paris line (3.258.000 passengers) increases by 4.1%. For the airport, these results are the logic consequence of three principal elements. First one : densification of frequencies towards hubs of big companies. Thus, Amsterdam, London, Frankfort, Zurich, drain off customers from the Riviera for their long haul planes towards Asia, Africa or the United-states.
Second point : the success of Air Littoral. At the beginning, the creation of a new company which would provide a 'regional hub' seemed a difficult bet to make. They succeeded. In 1999, Air Littoral has passed over the level of one million passengers. Even mor encouraging, the growth, which until now was achieved with connecting passengers, is now more oriented towards passengers coming from leaving or coming from Nice. Third point : the presence of low-cost companies. Nice was the only French provincial airport having supported the low-cost phenomenon. Easyjet and Virgin which deals with destinations opened for a long time (London, Brussels, Geneva) have generated a new generation of passengers.
More than one million passengers over Great-Britain
What are the most famous destinations in 1999? First, London. With 984.000 passengers, the English capital is the second destination after Paris. It has increased by 11%. Thus, Great-Britain surpasses one million passengers for the first time.
The pack, behind remains stable with Brussels, Frankfort, Amsterdam, Lyon, Zurich. Then, there is a modification with Geneva, boosted with the arrival of Easyjet which has considerably lowered tariffs and Geneva surpasses Rome.
As far as companies are concerned, the event has been created by Air Littoral : more than one million passengers, progression of 33%. Air Littoral becomes the second company of the airport, behind Air France (2.567.000 passengers). To notice also the progression of British Airways (10%).
The building site of the Terminal 2 begins on Monday
If we compare these results with those of other airports, Nice is doing well : Paris is +8%, Marseilles +6% (6.017.000 passengers), Lyon +6% (5.5 million), Toulouse +7%. Still, this growth has to be managed. To keep on offering passengers a same service quality, in front of an increasing number of passengers, the airport has launched an important investment plan over three years (one billion francs).
A plan which will be put into operation as soon as Monday January 17th with the opening of the building site of the Terminal 2.