Nice confirms its position as the leading international airport after Paris.
The annual traffic increase of 8.5% in 2011 was further reinforced in 2012, with a new consecutive increase of 7.4% by the end of December 2012.
Despite successive strikes and unfavorable weather conditions at the beginning of the year, as well as the impact of the Arab Spring, Nice Côte d’Azur Airport remains a pillar of attraction for both tourism and business. This is thanks to the region’s concentration of international events that drive traffic year-round (Midem, Mipim, Film Festival, F1 Grand Prix, Ironman, Yacht shows, Mipcom, etc.).
Reflecting on 2012 and its exceptional performance
A record-breaking summer: 5 consecutive months with over a million passengers!
A winning combination stemming from the first year of operations of the Air France and easyJet bases.
Since their opening at the end of March, a “base effect” can indeed be noted, boosting both domestic and international traffic.
Moving from -5.2% in February to +5.3% by the end of December, domestic traffic was revitalized thanks to the greater seating capacity offered by Air France and easyJet.
Internationally, the routes to Athens and Tel Aviv operated by Air France, as well as Naples (Air France + easyJet) and Barcelona for easyJet, contributed to boosting summer traffic.
Thus, in 2012, international traffic accounted for 61% as opposed to 49% for domestic.
In Europe, the most significant flows are with the UK (+9.5%), including the London Gatwick route opened by British Airways.
The Middle East is drawing increasing interest via Doha with Qatar Airways (+149% in August!) and Dubai with Emirates, which increased its daily seating capacity by deploying a Boeing 777 since October 16.
From Nice, the doors to Asia and the Middle East are opening wider and wider!
In terms of cargo transport
Traditional airfreight (10,018 annual tons) represents a strategic axis for medium and long-haul carriers like Qatar, the 8th largest carrier on the Nice platform with 184 tons per year; Delta (1,162 tons per year), the second-largest carrier after Emirates (5,930 tons per year).
Imports are down by 11%, while exports are up by 6%. In other words, local companies continue to export internationally despite the crisis, while the region imports less.
On the business aviation side
Despite a persistently difficult economic context, the platforms of Nice Côte d’Azur and Cannes Mandelieu account for 72% of business aviation movements in the Southeast (from Avignon to Nice).
Business Aviation in Nice represents 18% of the total number of aircraft movements on the platform in 2012 and 16.3% for the Cannes-Mandelieu platform; a market on the path to maturity with promising growth expected in the medium term.
