Vincent Godin was seated at a table in a bakery located near the entrance of a large DIY store. In the distance, amidst the fields of Oise, the blue and yellow aircraft of a well-known budget airline were taking off from the sole runway of Paris-Beauvais airport. Utilizing a tablet for visual aids, Godin illustrated the patterns of take-offs and landings, the surge in air traffic, and the peak travel days during holiday weekends and summer getaways. The information is gathered on a website he developed himself.
“We’re not advocating for the airport’s closure; we simply seek limitations. We have to endure pollution and disturbances in exchange for economic advantages,” stated the 40-year-old engineer, who is part of the ADERA association that opposes the airport’s noise and air pollution. Before he rode off on his bike, he expressed a hint of disappointment: “For years, we’ve been aware that the airport’s expansion will only lead to an increase in passengers eager to visit the Eiffel Tower or take weekend trips to European destinations.”
On Tuesday, March 11, his association, along with two others, announced their latest legal initiative. In mid-January, these opponents submitted a petition to the Amiens administrative court challenging the new airport concession contract signed in April 2024. In their statement, they criticized the “swift and thoughtless” rise in traffic since the introduction of low-cost airlines in 1997. In 1996, the airport served 64,000 passengers, but by 2024, that number had skyrocketed to 6,560,000. The volume of commercial movements (take-offs and landings) increased from 4,200 in 2000 to 39,000 in 2024.
