Like every year, the region’s airports are strengthening their destination offering for the summer season. If these offers make it possible to attract holidaymakers, especially from Northern Europe, they also offer residents of the former Languedoc Roussillon the opportunity to take advantage of holiday opportunities outside France.
It is the unchanging ritual of every spring: the various airports in the region expand their programs in anticipation of the big summer departures. More than forty different destinations are offered together for this summer of 2024, most of which start in June and vary seasonally.
If for many of them it is a matter of attracting tourists, especially from Northern Europe, to boost the regional economy, the fact remains: for the inhabitants of the region, they have to seize some great opportunities to to make the opposite journey. History includes avoiding the road to Marseille, Toulouse or even Barcelona to take the holiday plane.
“Ahead of our filling forecasts”
It is not surprising that the departure proposals will be the most numerous from Montpellier. Between the Mediterranean and Northern Europe, the choices are numerous. In particular thanks to Transavia, the low-cost subsidiary of the Air France group, which will thus offer an international offer reinforced by 30% compared to the summer of 2023. “Today Transavia is the first partner of the airport platform”underlines Emmanuel Brehmer, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Montpellier Méditerranée airport company.
“From Montpellier we open three new destinations: Rabat, Istanbul and Constantine”, said Nicolas Hénin, deputy general manager of Transavia, who came to Montpellier last Thursday to present the summer program. When Montpellier Airport had to close certain routes, such as Berlin and Stockholm, it still maintained an extensive programme.
Destinations complementary to those of Montpellier
Montpellier’s great asset is that it has continued to diversify its partnerships by working with other companies. This summer, British Airways, Lufthansa, Royal Air Maroc, Luxair, easyJet, Norwegian, Scandinavian airlines, KLM and even Air Arabia will land their planes on the Languedoc tarmac. With ultimately other different destinations. “This is one of the essential strategies to continue developing,” emphasizes Emmanuel Brehmer. And avoid regional holidaymakers to boost visitor numbers at other airports in the south of France.
But whether we complain or rejoice, the former Languedoc Roussillon has a network of airport platforms the likes of which we rarely see elsewhere. And this wealth provides a particularly rich total offering. Sometimes with complementarities with that of Montpellier Méditerranée. This is for example the case for destinations such as Stockholm, closed by the latter and serviced by Béziers. Or even Porto, offered by Nîmes and Carcassonne. Without forgetting some unique routes such as East Midlands, Cagliari, Edinburgh and Leeds, signed by Ryanair, often an exclusive partner of other regional airports.
A strengthened offer to North Africa
As Isabelle Roumagnou, director of Béziers airport, recalls: “85% of the welcomed passengers are foreigners”. The flight from Stockholm too “83% Sweden”. If the lines are mainly intended to be a “import traffic”, they are unfortunately not always understood by regional holidaymakers. Except perhaps those from the Algerian, Moroccan or Portuguese diaspora who have settled in the region, who this year have an extremely rich choice like never before. Transavia’s opening of destinations such as Oran, Constantine, Algiers, Lisbon, Rabat and Tunis is a response to the expectations of these population groups. Just like the offer to Morocco that is also offered by the airports of Perpignan and Nîmes.
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