Many individuals are drawn to France. Airports have been built to make it easier for international visitors to go to the country. France has more than 30 international and local airports offering direct and indirect connectivity with other locations. Thus, making it one of the most attractive countries in Western Europe. Some of these airports, such as Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris and Mérignac Airport in Bordeaux, are larger airports. This is due to their relative size of 32.38 square kilometers and 10171 x 148 feet.
In addition to these, there are around 10 biggest airports in France. We will discuss them in this blog. We’ll go through the characteristics of these airports that make them so large and significant.
Which are the 10 Biggest Airports in France?
In the sections to come up, we will get your knowledge widened about the massive airports in France that handle the most passengers. We will be helping you understand the size of these airports on the basis of their physical attributes. These attributes can be inclusive of the size of an airport, its runways, parking space, and more.
Charles de Gaulle Airport – Paris
Charles de Gaulle Airport is the largest airport in Paris and one of the busiest in Europe. This airport is 23 kilometres away from Paris’ northeast. It has four runways of which 1 is inactive. Parking and airline offices are allotted to the four top floors of Terminal 1.
Charles de Gaulle Airport has four runways totaling 13,780 feet in length. This airport served 76,150,007 passengers and executed 498,175 aircraft operations in 2017, making it France’s busiest airport as well.
Let’s now look into what services and facilities Charles de Gaulle Airport has to offer.
Services & Facilities At Charles de Gaulle Airport:
- Car rentals
- Free wi-fi
- Shops and restaurants
- lost and found
- Large parking space
Bordeaux–Mérignac Airport
Bordeaux–Mérignac Airport is the second largest airport in Paris. The Mérignac Airport is 12 kilometres west of Bordeaux, in the northeastern part of France. There are three passenger terminals at Bordeaux Airport. These include Terminals, A, B, and Billi.
International planes mostly use Terminal A. Terminal B is a two-level passenger air terminal dedicated primarily to Air France operations between Bordeaux and Paris. Terminal Billi is a dedicated low-cost carrier terminal.
This airport has two runways that total 10,171 feet in length. In 2019, the airport serviced 7.7 million passengers and processed more than 25,145t of cargo. This is why this airport is considered to be one of the biggest airports in France.
Services & Facilities at Mérignac Airport:
- Car rental services
- Valet parking service
- Transportation for specialized personnel
- Various shops and restaurants
Paris Orly Airport
Another one on our list of the biggest airports in France is Paris Orly Airport. This airport is the third biggest one in the country. The Paris Orly Airport lies 13 kilometres (8.1 miles) south of Paris, France. It is split between Orly and Villeneuve-le-Roi.
Orly Airport is 15.3 square kilometres (5.9 square miles) in size. The airport’s terminals and runways are spread over two departments and seven communes. Each year, about 32 million people pass through Paris Orly Airport.
The Paris-Orly Airport has four terminals. It has three runways with a combined length of 30,741 feet. Surprisingly, the runways have a 76-movement-per-hour programming capability.
Services & Facilities at Paris Orly Airport:
- Wi-fi at no cost
- Lost & found counter
- ATMs
- Currency exchange facility
- Restaurants with various options
- Duty-free shops
Nice Côte d’Azur Airport – Nice
The next airport in France that is really massive is the Nice Côte d’Azur Airport – Nice. Nice Côte d’Azur Airport is located in the Alpes-Maritimes département of France. It is situated 3.2 nautical miles (5.9 kilometres; 3.7 miles) southwest of Nice. In 2019, it served around 14,485,423 passengers in total. According to its travelers, this airport is considered to be one of the biggest airports in France due to its enormous size as well as its extensive services.
The airport is over 3.70 km sq. or 1.43 sq. mm in size with 2.70 km sq. or 1.04 sq. mi. of land. It has two parallel runways, three terminals, and a freight terminal.
The airport’s potential annual traveler capacity is 13 million, with 52 movements and 26 landings every hour. Complimentary shuttle buses run between Terminals 1 and 2 as well as between the car parks and the terminals.
Service and Facilities in Nice Côte d’Azur Airport:
- Free wi-fi
- Currency exchange
- Parking spaces
- Comfortable lounges
Lyon-Saint Exupéry Airport
Coming back to another biggest airport in France, let us now look at Lyon-Saint Exupéry Airport. The Lyon-Saint Exupéry Airport is located near Colombier-Saugnieu which is 11 nautical miles (20 kilometres; 13 miles) southeast of Lyon.
This airport was named after the French pilot aka author Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. Lyon Airport is known by a variety of names, including Lyon Satolas Airport and Aéroport de Lyon-Saint Exupéry.
Lyon Airport has two runways with a total length of 21,884 feet. It has three terminals serving various passengers. Every year, it transports about 799,658 passengers.
Let us now talk about its services and amenities.
Services and Facilities at Lyon-Saint Exupéry Airport:
- Free of cost wi-fi
- Numerous Airport lounges
- Luggage lockers
- Currency exchange services
Marseille Provence Airport
Marseille is France’s oldest city and a popular tourist destination for visitors from all over the world. Marseille Provence Airport is around 27 kilometres (17 miles) northwest of Marseille. This is, in reality, the finest airport in France for getting to Marseille. One of the reasons for this can be its massive size which makes it capable of handling so many travelers. Marseille Provence Airport also receives 3.4 million travelers each year.
Marseille Airport is believed to be one of the biggest airports in France. The airport has two terminals, the first of which is split into two rooms. The airport features two runways totaling 11,482 feet in length and 13,500 parking spots available at reasonable rates. The Marseille Provence Airport is easily accessible via the A7 highway because it is located northwest of the city.
Services and Facilities at Marseille Provence Airport:
- Restaurants with different cuisines
- Cafés to get refreshed
- Car rentals
- Duty-Free shops
Toulouse Blagnac Airport
Toulouse–Blagnac Airport is located around 3.6 nautical miles or 6.7 kilometres or 4.1 miles west-northwest of Toulouse city. On 100,000 square meters of floor area, the airport has one passenger terminal separated into four rooms with 68 stations and 34 gates. The terminal is divided into four halls (Hall A, B, C, and D) with Hall D serving as the central hub for all security inspections.
There are two runways with a total length of 21,326 feet at this airport. The passenger traffic at Toulouse-Blagnac Airport is 8.2 million per year. It is for this reason that it is regarded as one of the biggest airports in France that can handle millions of passengers. Let’s have a look at the services and amenities available at this airport.
Services and Facilities at Toulouse Blagnac Airport:
- Currency exchange services
- Workshops
- Shops for completing requirements
- Bank facilities
- Meeting rooms
- Prayer rooms
Strasbourg International Airport – Entzheim
Strasbourg Airport is a tiny international airport near Entzheim, Germany, about 10 kilometres (6.2 miles) west of Strasbourg. More than 30 direct flights and 233 international flights are available from the airport to the most popular vacation destinations. In 2018, this airport served around 1,297,177 passengers.
The passenger terminal building at the airport is a single two-story structure. The check-in rooms and arriving facilities, including three baggage claim lanes, are located on the ground floor. International and domestic departure lobbies and gates are located on the upper floor. Four gates with jet bridges and several walk-boarding stands are available at the facility.
There is only one runway, which is 7874 feet long. Domestic and international departures have their own lounges or gates, thus making Strasbourg International Airport to be counted among the biggest airports in France.
Service and Facilities at Strasbourg International Airport:
- Free wi-fi for travelers
- PlayStation availability
- Relaxed Area
- ATM for cash and other facilities
Nantes Atlantique Airport
Nantes Atlantique Airport is located in Western France, in the municipality of Bouguenais, with a 2-story ‘L’ terminal. It is located southwest of Nantes. While departure takes place at the top level, arrivals are made at the bottom floor. It is included among the biggest airports in France preferably due to its sizable structure.
In 2019, 7221,000 passengers were processed at the airport. There is also one 9514 ft. single runway that adds to the sizable attributes of this airport.
Take a look at what services and facilities are there at Nantes Atlantique Airport.
Services and Facilities at Nantes Atlantique Airport:
- Currency exchange
- Car rental
- Free of charge wi-fi
- Airport lounges
Paris Beauvais Tillé Airport
Beauvais-Tillé Airport is the international airport adjacent to Beauvais in the Tillé municipality of France. It is known as Paris-Beauvais Airport. In 2016, it was France’s 10th most busy airport. 3,997,856 passengers were processed at it and mainly utilized by charter and cheap flights.
The airport has two terminals, while the Paris Beauvais bus station lies between the two terminals. The overall length of the 3 runways of the airport is approximately 11,597 ft. This length is big enough to valuably add to the physical characteristics of Paris Beauvais Tillé Airport. It is one of the biggest airports in France with about 3.997.856 passengers flown throughout the year.
Services and Facilities at Paris Beauvais Tillé Airport:
- Currency exchange
- Free wi-fi
Conclusion
So, by now you must have got an idea about the largest airports in France. These airports are identified according to their size, passenger traffic, runways, and terminals. Their massive physical structures double up their capability to handle a huge number of passengers every year. We hope this article was helpful to you. In your future plans to France, the knowledge gained here may assist you in choosing the best airport to fly off to the country.
