Transavia Airlines is broadening its offerings at Bordeaux-Mérignac Airport. The low-cost subsidiary of Air France-KLM announced on Monday, September 23, the launch of a base with a permanent aircraft and seven new routes. Between December 12 and 14, it will gradually introduce flights to the cities of Porto (two flights per week), Seville (two flights), Marrakech (four flights), Agadir (two flights), Istanbul (two flights), and Marseille (four flights), in addition to Dakar (two flights), which will be operated starting October 29.
All these destinations will be expanded next summer. In total, the airline plans to make approximately 300,000 seats available between winter 2024 and summer 2025. For this winter, the most booked destinations are already Dakar, Seville, and Agadir.
This announcement comes following Ryanair’s withdrawal from Bordeaux airport at the end of summer due to a disagreement regarding the development of its base. “Clearly, the departure of a competitor was a catalyst. It was an opportunity we needed to seize, as we had minimal presence in the South-West until now,” states Nicolas Henin, the sales director of Transavia. “We aim to establish a long-term presence in Bordeaux and are confident about the sustainability of this growth. The region is both attractive and a significant source of traffic,” he adds.
However, Transavia confirmed a connection between Pau airport and Paris-Orly airport, which will be suspended from October 27. Nicolas Henin asserts that this decision was unrelated to the base opening in Bordeaux. “The decision regarding Pau was made well in advance, as demand was insufficient at that airport,” he explains.
40% of Ryanair’s Traffic Recovered
For the airport, which has commenced an investment of 250 million euros to expand and renovate its facilities, quickly replacing the routes lost by Ryanair was essential for economic reasons. “The development of Transavia is excellent news for us, especially with a carrier under the French flag. We have now recovered 40% of the traffic left by Ryanair, but we are still working to recover more,” said Simon Dreschel, the chairman of the board of Bordeaux airport.
Last June, the company EasyJet announced it was strengthening its partnership with Bordeaux by launching two new routes for the winter. “Developing routes takes time, as extensive market studies are necessary for each destination. Attracting Transavia was accomplished much faster than usual, in record time,” explains Cyrielle Grenier, head of line development at Bordeaux airport.
With the opening of this base in Bordeaux, Transavia will indirectly employ about ten people at the airport. “To have a crew on site, we usually wait until we have two or three planes,” shares Nicolas Henin. For now, the aircraft assigned to the base will be a Boeing 737-800. We will have to wait before it is replaced by an Airbus A320Neo, which is more environmentally friendly, quieter, and more comfortable.
Intersecting Runway
Following the publication of the IGEDD report on the intersecting runway, which advocates its maintenance, Simon Dreschel, chairman of the board of directors of Bordeaux airport, asserts that “this does not contradict the planned investments.” “Our preferred scenario was one of closure. However, this decision now gives us clarity for our investment plan, which we will adjust accordingly,” he explains.
Transavia Expands Operations at Bordeaux-Mérignac Airport
The airline Transavia is expanding its offer at the Bordeaux-Mérignac airport. The low-cost subsidiary of Air France-KLM announced this Monday, September 23, the opening of a base with a permanent aircraft and seven new lines. Between December 12 and 14, it will gradually open flights to the cities of Porto (two flights per week), Seville (two flights), Marrakech (four flights), Agadir (two flights), Istanbul (two flights) and Marseille (four flights), in addition to Dakar (two flights), operated from October 29.
All these destinations will be extended this summer. In total, the company will put on sale around 300,000 seats between winter 2024 and summer 2025. For this winter, the destinations of Dakar, Seville, and Agadir are already the most booked.
This announcement comes as Ryanair withdrew from Bordeaux airport at the end of the summer due to a disagreement over the development of its base. “It is clear that the departure of a competitor was a trigger. It was an opportunity to seize, while we had very little presence in the South-West until now,” assures Nicolas Henin, sales director of Transavia. “We intend to establish ourselves in Bordeaux over the long term and we are confident in the sustainability of this development. The region is both attractive and a source of traffic,” he continues.
Transavia nevertheless assured a connection between Pau airport and Paris-Orly airport will be suspended from October 27. Nicolas Henin claims that this decision was not linked to that of a base opening in Bordeaux. “The decision in Pau had been taken well before because the demand was insufficient at this airport,” he justifies.
40% of Ryanair Traffic Recovered
For the airport, which has launched an investment of 250 million euros to expand and renovate its building, the rapid replacement of the routes left by Ryanair was economically essential. “The development of Transavia is good news for us, especially with a company under the French flag. We have now taken over 40% of the traffic left by Ryanair but work continues to recover more,” said Simon Dreschel, chairman of the board of Bordeaux airport.
Last June, the company EasyJet announced that it was strengthening its partnership with Bordeaux by opening two new lines for the winter. “Developing lines takes time, because there are long market studies for each destination. To attract Transavia, it was done much faster than usual, in record time,” explains Cyrielle Grenier, head of line development at Bordeaux airport.
Operational Details and Future Plans
With this base opening in Bordeaux, Transavia will indirectly employ around ten people at the airport. “To have a crew on site, we usually wait until we have two or three planes,” says Nicolas Henin. For now, the plane installed at the base will be a Boeing 737-800. We will have to wait before seeing it replaced by an Airbus A320Neo, which is less polluting, less noisy, and more comfortable.
Benefits of Transavia’s Expansion
- Additional Flight Options: Travelers from Bordeaux will benefit from more diverse and affordable travel options with the introduction of new destinations.
- Boost to Local Economy: Increased flight capacity can stimulate tourism and related industries in the Bordeaux region.
- Job Creation: The presence of a base will create jobs both directly with Transavia and indirectly through local services.
New Destinations Overview
| Destination | Frequency |
|---|---|
| Porto | 2 flights/week |
| Seville | 2 flights/week |
| Marrakech | 4 flights/week |
| Agadir | 2 flights/week |
| Istanbul | 2 flights/week |
| Marseille | 4 flights/week |
| Dakar | 2 flights/week |
Intersecting Track Situation
Following the publication of the IGEDD report on the secant track, which advocates its maintenance, the chairman of the board of directors of Bordeaux airport Simon Dreschel assures that “this does not call into question the planned investments.” “Our preferred scenario was that of a closure. But the decision allows us to finally have visibility for our investment plan, which we will adjust accordingly,” he explains.
