“We are emerging from two years of crisis, but we have seen a clear recovery since the summer of 2021.“, affirmed Tanguy Bertolus, chairman of the management board of Aéroports de Lyon, at a press conference on Wednesday.
At the national level, air transport will itself have returned to 90.7 million passengers nationwide in 2021, an increase of +29.5% compared to 2020… but a figure which remains however still below -57.7% compared to 2019.
According to the Union des Aéroports de France (UAF), Lyon-Saint Exupéry will however have lost a “symbolic” place in the 2021 attendance ranking, since after a decade of growth in traffic, the airport managed by Vinci falls from fourth to fifth place with its 4.5 million passengers, behind Marseille-Provence airport (4.6 million). The descent has been strong since in 2019, Lyon Saint-Exupéry drained 11.7 million passengers but he hopes, from 2022, to reconnect with 7 to 9 million annual travelers.
A slight downgrade which does not however worry Tanguy Bertolus: “the average for French airports is down -60% in activity compared to 2019. With one specificity: tourist traffic has recovered much better than business or family traffic. Marseille airport has more tourism, so it’s very cyclical. The number of passengers interests us, but knowing if it is more or less than Marseille is not so interesting.“A drop in activity of 70% in 2020 and 62% in 2021 which was also accompanied by a drop in the number of employees, from 420 to 350.
The war in Ukraine has also had “low impact on traffic“, Lyon Saint-Exupéry airport having so far only had one flight per week to Moscow (which no longer flies) and none to Ukraine. Even for flights to neighboring countries, for the moment there are “no direct consequences”, assures the structure.
A reinforced flight plan for the summer of 2022
And while the summer of 2021 displayed 80 of the 130 usual destinations (compared to 40 in 2020), Lyon Saint-Exupéry airport will offer travelers this summer 100 destinations.
Last year, long-haul routes like Dubai and Montreal had already resumed, as well as European hubs like Frankfurt and Brussels.
In 2022, nine new destinations (which were not established before the health crisis) will be offered: Larcana on the island of Cyprus, Dakar in Senegal, Santorini and Kos in Greece, Reunion, Kayseri in Turkey, Bari in Italy , Krakow in Poland and finally Belgrade in Serbia. “This summer, there is a tourist dynamic with an attractiveness for seaside destinations”analysis Tanguy Bertolus.
Also, the airport works with 42 companies, including seven new ones. “It’s not yet the level of 2019, but we’re getting closer.”
In addition, low-cost companies now represent 39% of traffic in France, compared to 35% before the crisis. A general movement which Lyon cannot escape: half of the companies working with the airport are low-cost.
Freight, which represents a “significant activity” for Vinci Airports, increased by 7% in 2021 compared to 2020. Knowing that in 2018, 60,717 tonnes of freight and post were transported on the CargoPort platform, including 57,907 tonnes excluding post.
For 2022, Tanguy Bertolus envisages “a good prospect”, this sector having “not experienced a crisis like tourism.” Freighters and exporters having also resumed their activities. All-cargo freight grew by +8%, 3% more than its 2019 level.”The arrival of Qatar Airways in Lyon with its dedicated flight contributed to these good results“says Vinci.
Closing of T2 in the coming weeks
At the end of May, terminal 2 should close for a major renovation campaign (in terms of energy, but also in order to improve its customer experience and its commercial experience). The work should last two years and the flights will thus be transferred to T1. A renovation with a budget of 30 million euros.
Another global project for the development of customer relations, which had in particular already begun with Mona’s installationa contactless passenger support system using biometrics, will be extended.
Set up in September 2020, Mona was used by 2,000 passengers, “with a satisfaction rate of 96%”, according to Tanguy Bertolus. Until now only the companies Tap, Transavia and Air Corsica used it, but other air carriers have expressed their desire to experiment with it.
The “net zero emissions” horizon for 2026 is maintained
In terms of decarbonization, the stated objective is from “dividing CO2 emissions by ten by 2026″, or to achieve “net zero emissions” by this deadline.
All airport vehicles should therefore be green (biogas or hydrogen). A shade house comprising 7,000 m2 of photovoltaic panels will be built on the new car park as soon as the school year begins. Electrical terminals will also be deployed.
As for planes, Vinci has already entered into a partnership with Air Liquide to prepare for hydrogen aircraft. And “the planes that emit the most CO2 will have to pay a fee”argues Tanguy Bertolus, without specifying the amount at this stage.
By 2025, hydrogen stations for heavy mobility should be deployed, with the aim of extending the use of green hydrogen to aircraft by 2030.
Carbon offsetting work has also been started with the ONF. In the Rhône department, Vinci Airports is thus committed to expanding and managing a 3.6 hectare forest, “to compensate for the residual part” of its activity.
Also, the Climate and Resilience law, which will prohibit the operation of air services if an alternative by train exists in less than 2h30, has for the moment no consequences on the activity of the airport.
“We are awaiting the release of the decree. The impact is low for us. Only two lines are concerned, Lyon-Orly which has already been stopped and Lyon-Marseille which will always fly because it includes a lot of connections.”