The Air France route between Nice and Paris-Orly will close on March 29. Transavia will ensure the continuity of flights. The shift to Paris-Charles-de-Gaulle marks a new stage for the airline and reignites the debate on the evolution of air traffic in Nice.
The connection between Nice airport and Paris-Orly will stop on March 29. Air France had communicated its intention two years ago. This decision also affected Toulouse and Marseille. The airline is refocusing its operations at Paris-Charles-de-Gaulle. It is strengthening its offerings from this airport despite longer access times and a less dense transport network. The group explained at the time: “we should not see a regression but rather a progression in the offering.”
Currently, twelve flights connect Nice to Orly each day. Eight connect Nice to Paris-Charles-de-Gaulle. This line is among the most used in the domestic network. However, traffic has declined. Since the health crisis, the number of passengers has decreased. The drop reaches 14.9% over five years. Air France also states: “between 2019 and 2023, traffic on domestic routes departing from Orly has decreased by 40%, and even by 60% for day return trips.”
The cessation of the route to Orly is not a total withdrawal. Air France maintains its presence between Nice and Paris-Charles-de-Gaulle. The frequency is expected to further increase. Summer 2026 will see twelve daily rotations. Transavia will take over the route to Orly with eight flights per day. The announced price starts at 45 euros one way. The airline indicates that this decision follows “consultation with the competent authorities.”
The group is also preparing the transition for its other destinations. Toulouse and Marseille will switch to Transavia on the same date. The three cities will have their first flights under this banner on March 29, 2026. Air France highlights the benefit of connections on long-haul flights from Paris-Charles-de-Gaulle. The airline believes that “the number of frequencies between Paris and Nice remains similar with a strengthening of the Paris CDG service for connections to long-haul flights.”
A contested decision on the Côte d’Azur
The announcement of the end of Air France flights to Orly provoked strong political reactions in 2023. The deputy Éric Ciotti denounced a “shameful and scandalous decision, without any consultation” and promised to oppose it “with all his might.” Christian Estrosi and Renaud Muselier set up a working group. Their objective was to obtain “guarantees for Air France employees based in Nice” and “the maintenance of a substantial air offer, which ensures quality with nonetheless a differentiated approach.”
The transition is also happening at a time when the expansion project of Nice airport’s terminal comes back to the forefront of debates. A public inquiry issued a favorable opinion in January before its publication in February. The project includes an additional 25,000 m². It includes six boarding rooms and a baggage delivery area. The airport welcomed 14.8 million passengers in 2023. A partial commissioning is planned for 2025 and completion in 2026.
This development has generated criticism. Opponents have long warned about the project’s effects. They mention an additional 30,000 flights annually and a 25% increase in air pollution. They also suggest a surplus of 400,000 tons of CO2. The impact study was deemed insufficient by the Marseille administrative court of appeal in December 2023. A new public inquiry followed. The work, however, was not suspended.
On September 18, the Marseille administrative court of appeal validated the terminal 2 extension project. This decision ends a procedure initiated in 2020. Three associations had contested the construction permit and its modifications. They cited risks to the environment and health. The lawyer for France Nature Environnement 06, Isabelle Vergnoux, was seeking “a condemnation of the State and the Airports of the Côte d’Azur company to a sum of 10,000 euros.”
The closure of the Air France route to Orly and the terminal development are part of the same context of transformation. They raise questions about the evolution of traffic and the balance between demand, environmental constraints, and strategic choices. The restructuring of the domestic network opens a new phase for Nice, balancing connection maintenance and market needs adaptation.
