Opening Confirmed Brive Souillac Airport as June 2010

January 13, 2010

The opening came one step closer to this week at a stone laying ceremony attended by all the key players in the airport development.

Gérard Miquel (Conseil General Lot), Martin Malvy (Midi Pyrenees), Jean Paul Denanot (Limousin), François Hollande (Conseil General Corrèze), Jean-Louis Nesti (airport syndicate representative) and Phillipe Nauche (Brive Mayor) came together to show a united front over a project that has been besieged by controversy and delays over the last couple of years.

Brive airport

Brive Mayor, Phillipe Naerde said it was now important to forget the problems of the past and focus on the airports future success. The same sentiments were echoed by François Hollande, president of the conseil general in Corrèze who is keen that people now deal in facts and the rumours that have been circulating about the airport and quashed once and for all.

Test flights will take place in the early part of next year to ensure all equipment is functioning and to identify and resolve any teething problems.
The airport will open for traffic June 2010 and it is hoped that the airport will see around 24,000 passengers pass through its doors between June and December 2010.
Targets for 2011 the first full year of operation are currently anticipated as being 105,000 passengers, 85,000 of which will come from low cost airlines.

Airport owners confirm they are currently in negotiations with low cost airlines, Ryan Air, Easy Jet, and BMI Baby.

Even if projections are met in the first full year of opening the airport owners will still need to fund the operation to the tune of 1.3 million Euros with Brive stumping up a substantial proportion of the deficit.
It is hoped that the Dordogne will help with some additional funding as this is one of the areas expected to see the biggest gain from the inevitable boost to tourism in the area.

At the 200 hectare site. The 2,100m runway is already in place and at a 45m width, it is generously designed to ensure it can receive the Airbus A320 and Boeing 737.

Although a little late for next year’s tourist season it is bound to bring huge benefits to Brits living in the area, although flight routes and operators have yet to be announced.

House prices in the area may well see a rise as was the case when regular flights between Limoges and the UK were introduced.

The airport is also well located for access to the A20 motorway.

- 25 years in the planning
- 5 years of construction
- 48 million euros investment
- 2 800 000 m3 de earth excavated
- 200 hectare site
- 13 partners

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