In 2016, + 10.69% increase in passenger traffic at Montpellier Airport

This is double-digit growth, making all of our politicians jealous in an election campaign! In 2016, traffic from Montpellier Airport jumped 10.7% compared to 2015; what makes the Languedoc platform the second most powerful in France in the club of millionaires airports (those who understand more than one million passengers per year).

Last year, it was so 1.67 million passengers   have taken off or landed at Montpellier , is an incredible increase of over 27% in five years. This flight, which benefits the economy of the whole region, owes nothing to chance. It is the consequence of the conquering strategy put in place by the teams of the airport, who have been fighting for several years to convince the French and foreign airlines to put their planes on this side of the shores of the Mediterranean in a context of Exacerbated competition between platforms.

In detail, national lines still form the bulk of the traffic, with 1.05 million passengers in 2016 (+ 2.55%). Nearly 2/3 of the passengers Montpellier Airport (63% exactly) flew to Paris , Nantes , Bordeaux , Brest , Strasbourg or Corsica .The capital alone accounts for more than half of all travelers (51.3%). Traffic to Orly exceeded 473,000 passengers (+ 2.5%). However, flights to Roissy (which then enable flights to be flown worldwide via the Air France hub) also fueled, with 383,000 passengers (+ 1.1%). The offensive strategy of Hop Air France, with the establishment of the shuttle on the Montpellier / Orly online in October 2016 , is expected to drive growth in 2017.

The other French lines have varied destinies, according to the strategy of the airlines. With 147,000 passengers,Nantes flies to nearly 18%, thanks to the abundant supply offered by Hop Air France and Volotea; when Strasbourgwas down 39% (12 000 passengers) and Lyon from 64% (5800 passengers) following the reduction in supply. Note the good performance of Brest (10 000 passengers) and especially Bordeaux (6800 passengers), now linked daily to Montpellier through Chalair since January 2016.

European routes largely contribute to boost growth, with more than 442,000 passengers in 2016 (+ 18%). This beautiful soaring answers the airport strategy, which aims to develop links with the major cities of the Old Continent, both to accommodate more tourists to the area that offer Languedoc always more destinations from home. Today, these European lines represent 26.5% of traffic from Montpellier , against only 14% three years ago.

The example of KLM perfectly illustrates this policy. The Dutch company has significantly strengthened its offering last year, so that 65 000 passengers flew to Amsterdam last year (+ 128%!). This is now the third European destination , behind London always dynamic (156,000 passengers, up 15%) and Charleroi in Belgium (67 000 passengers, + 8.5%). Also note the performance of Basel-Mulhouse (almost 38 000 passengers), Rotterdam (20 000), Copenhagen (18 900) and especially Dublin (10 000), proposed for the first time from Montpellier with Aer Lingus . These results offset the decline from Frankfurt Hahn to 30% (29 000 passengers) which suffered a reduction of capacity by Ryanair . Finally, Rome has attracted 20,000 passengers last year, a stable figure compared to 2015 but which nevertheless results in the abandonment of the line by Alitalia , forced to drastically reduce its network in Europe and its fleet ...

Last reason to rejoice: the excellent performance of international routes to the countries of North Africa , boosted by the aggressive strategies of airlines Air Arabia , Royal Air Morocco and Air Algeria , with a total of 174 000 passengers (+ 65% ). This international traffic now represents 10.4% of the total traffic of the Montpellier Méditerranée Airport (compared with only 6% in 2013). With almost 62 000 passengers (+ 73%), Casablanca is leading the race in front of Fez , Nador and Marrakech (+ 240% with 25,000 passengers). Now served all year,Algiers also carries a 320% surge (9800 passengers). Tangier and Oran , both growing strongly, up the rear. 

These results slightly rebound the maps of airlines on the Montpellier platform. Air France and its subsidiary Hopcontinue to lead the race, with 56.5% market share. But low cost is now arrogate 34.6% of traffic (against 33.7% in 2015), led by Easyjet , Ryanair and Volotea . A report also pierced KLM and especially of Air Arabia engaged in a close partnership with the airport for two years. With 8.2% of the traffic, it will install even on the third place (behind Air France and Easyjet) and now exceeds Ryanair .

The beautiful momentum should continue in 2017 , with already several major announcements , as the British Airways returned to Montpellier after ten years of absence (with a line to its hub at London Heathrow), opening flights to Palma (Balearic Islands) by Germania for Lille and Bastia with Volotea and Stockholm by Norwegian .Not to mention the resumption of summer seasonal lines (Dublin, Copenhagen ...). Other good news should follow, we will talk about it soon! What to allow Emmanuel Brehmer , CEO of Montpellier Airport, hoping to beat in 2017 the traffic history record set in 2000 (1.72 million passengers). And to sail serenely towards the goal of 2, 5 million passengers by 2020 ...