2023-07-18 09:50:01
Proximity to airports, public funding, impossible profitability, the report of the Court of Auditors on the French airport network reveals several anomalies in Occitania. Once once more, Tarbes-Lourdes airport is pinned down.
The reports follow each other and resemble each other. The covid crisis has left its mark and air traffic is struggling to return to its pre-2019 level. This is even more obvious for the 41 medium-sized so-called “intermediate” airports (Tarbes, Rodez, Castres, Montpellier, Carcassonne, Béziers, Nîmes and Perpignan for Occitanie). Often owned by local authorities, they welcomed between 10,000 and 3 million commercial passengers in 2019 with certain aberrations noted by the Court of Auditors.
First of all, the report once once more raises the case of the airports of Pau (Aquitaine) and Tarbes (Occitanie), which are only 50km apart and which are in strong competition for the link to Paris. “The platforms partly share the same catchment area and compete on the link to Orly. There are thus eight flights per week between Pau and Paris-Orly between 6.30 a.m. and 1.30 p.m. and twelve per week between Tarbes and Paris-Orly at the same schedule.”
However, the report notes a difference: “Pau airport is very mainly oriented towards national traffic operated by traditional companies and with a high proportion of flights to Paris in connection with the density of the local economic fabric. Tarbes, on the other hand, mainly targets the import of foreign passengers by low-cost companies to ensure in particular the service of the sanctuary of Lourdes.
But the rapporteurs also note that airports remain underutilized with regard to their capacity.
Even more with the Covid crisis, the so-called “intermediate” airports are supported by the State and the regions.
Thus, the Tarbes-Orly link is financed by the State and the local authorities under the system of regional planning guidelines. The airports of Nîmes and Montpellier, also very close geographically, benefit from aid which has been validated by the European Commission. She considers that “the types of companies, customers and destinations were sufficiently different not to constitute a distortion of competition.” But until when ?
In the case of the airports of Tarbes and Pau, the report encourages the two regions (Occitanie and Aquitaine) to come together for greater efficiency.
Moreover, the Occitanie region, owner of Carcassonne airport and majority in the mixed unions of those of Tarbes and Perpignan has set up an integrated governance of these three platforms. In 2019, a SPLAR was created: Local Public Regional Airport Company.
Many airports had banked on strong growth in passenger traffic. However, with the Covid, the practice of teleworking and the unflattering carbon footprint of the plane, it is quite the opposite that is happening. “The concession contracts for the airports of Tarbes or Lille, which provide for increases in traffic of between 50 and 75% over the next 10 to 20 years, now seem unrealistic. Similarly, the construction of a new terminal in Carcassonne, to a projected investment of €9.4 million, appears out of step while traffic has decreased by 22% between 2009 and 2019 and the platform is largely underused.
In the 153 pages contained in this report, we find other anomalies. “Some airports enter into economically unfavorable contracts, going so far as to consent to the use of the airport service free of charge.” This is the case in Tarbes, which makes it difficult to get a return on investment.
The report also highlights some very costly and ineffective marketing and promotional purchases for airports. This practice is widely used in the Occitanie region.
Ryanair and its subsidiary received nearly €33 million from 2017 to 2019, i.e. nearly €11 million/year, from six airports: Béziers, Carcassonne, Nîmes, Perpignan, Rodez and Tarbes SPLAR forecasts (Carcassonne , Perpignan and Tarbes) forecast marketing expenditure of €85.9 million from 2023 to 2029, representing 115% of its projected operating deficit
Studies have proven that search engines are much more effective than these investments for booking tickets.
In conclusion, the Court of Auditors recommends that the State review and harmonize the French airport network. She suggests the creation of a “airport observatory to get an overview.
It also points to a necessary adaptation to the energy transition, taking into account the particularities of each airport. The plane emits on average nearly 100 times more greenhouse gases per passenger transported than TGVs according to the French Environment and Energy Management Agency (Ademe).
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