How will the 2024 Olympic Games impact Paris’ major airports?

The 2024 Olympic Games in Paris will be France’s chance to show off monied glamour. With an operating budget of €4.4 billion for the greatest sporting extravaganza on earth, the total cost rises closer to €9 billion when building projects and other expenses are considered. This grand event promises to be evidence of Paris’ enduring allure and organizational prowess.

Originally, Paris 2024 aimed to deliver €1.1 billion (US$1.2 billion) in domestic sponsorship revenue. However, this target was raised by an additional €100 million (US$108 million) in 2022 when the organizing committee’s budget increased by 10% to €4.38 billion (US$4.73 billion), according to sportspromedia.com

Paris’ “lean” Olympics are not expected to strain France’s finances significantly, thanks to 95% of its venues either already being built or requiring only minor refurbishments. Credit rating agency S&P Global estimates the nearly €9 billion ($10 billion) budget for the July and August games is comfortably below those of Tokyo, Rio, and London, and only a fraction of the record $52.7 billion spent by Beijing in 2008.

Preparing for the influx

The Paris Olympics, scheduled from July 26 to August 11, with the Paralympic Games following from August 28 to September 8, have prompted airlines to adjust their schedules. New regulations concerning noise and safety have been implemented in France, leading to significant changes in flight operations. With a surge in air travel demand during the already busy summer months, airlines are optimizing their schedules to accommodate the influx of passengers.

Paris, the epicentre of the Olympics, will also see events in other French cities, including handball in Lille, football and sailing in Marseille and surfing in French Polynesia. Football matches will take place in Bordeaux, Lyon, Nantes, Nice, and Saint-Étienne.

A surge in passenger numbers

Millions of spectators and thousands of athletes are expected to push French transport infrastructure to its limits. This is especially true for airports, which will see a significant increase in passenger numbers and luggage loads, many with sports equipment.

Groupe Aéroports de Paris (ADP), which manages the capital city’s airports, predicts it will handle 115,000 pieces of luggage, including 17,000 oversized items such as sports equipment. Typically, the group processes around 1,000 oversized items annually. Augustin de Romanet, Chairman and CEO of Groupe ADP, stated:

To prepare for the Olympic traffic, Paris Charles De Gaulle Airport has enhanced its baggage handling systems. In Terminals 2B and 2D, 1,800 bags can be handled per hour for departures, and around 6,000 for arrivals. Additionally, the Parisian metro operator RATP is set to open the extension of Line 14 to Paris Orly Airport on June 23, improving public transport links to the city.

The no-fly zone

The opening ceremony on July 26 will see a no-fly zone established over Paris. This restriction, comparable in size to neighbouring Belgium, is necessary for health and safety reasons. Flights to, from, and over Paris Charles de Gaulle, Paris Orly, and Paris Beauvais airports will be prohibited from 16:30 to 22:00 UTC. easyJet has had to cancel nearly 100 flights, affecting around 18,000 passengers. A spokesperson from the airline said:

“Like all airlines operating to and from Paris, easyJet has been requested to reduce its flying programme for the duration of the 2024 Olympics opening ceremony. This resulted in the cancellation of 96 flights at both Paris Charles de Gaulle and Paris Orly.”

Other airlines, including Ryanair and Wizz Air, have also been affected, with some flights cancelled or rescheduled.

Airlines ramp up services

To meet the increased demand, airlines have been deploying larger aircraft and increasing flight frequencies. Air France, for instance, plans to offer 9% more capacity on long-haul services this summer. The airline will introduce new routes and additional flights, including:

• Paris to Phoenix: thrice weekly with a Boeing 787-9
• Paris to Raleigh-Durham: up to seven weekly flights with an Airbus A350-900
• Paris to Abu Dhabi: daily Airbus A350 operation
• Paris to Dar Es Salam: thrice weekly via Zanzibar
• Paris to Tokyo: two daily flights to Haneda Airport and four weekly to Narita Airport

Air France CEO Benjamin Smith noted:

“A unique opportunity for Air France to showcase its expertise and customer service excellence.”

Qantas is launching a new service from Perth to Paris on July 12, operated by a Boeing 787, initially four times a week. This will be Qantas’ second direct flight to mainland Europe after its seasonal route to Rome.

Delta Air Lines has expanded its Cincinnati to Paris service to daily flights, primarily operated by the Boeing 767-400ER, with select frequencies on the Airbus A330-300. Delta also unveiled an Olympics-themed livery on one of its Airbus A350 aircraft, highlighting its role as Team USA’s official partner airline.

Travel tips for the Olympics

Travellers should be aware of two potential disruptions: heightened demand and possible strikes. August 12-14 are expected to be particularly busy, with departing flights full. Renaud Duplay, Deputy Executive Officer in charge of Operations for Groupe ADP, advised:

“We will work on solutions to facilitate the passage of the delegations so that they don’t saturate the arrival of other passengers.”

Arriving at the airport earlier than usual is recommended to avoid missing flights. Strikes by air traffic controllers, like those seen in May, could also disrupt travel. The Usac-CGT union has announced a new strike notice, which may affect flights within the country and overflights.

Read more on The lucrative world of private jet pilots