Carcassonne. The regional economic world pleads for the defense of the airport

The economic world, professional unions and employers’ organizations in the Heart of Occitanie are calling for a “pack” mobilization between the economic world, communities, Region and State in the face of the particular threats weighing on Carcassonne airport and the current challenges at all serving airports in the Territories.

First of all, you should know that in Carcassonne “the smooth operation of Ryanair’s ten international routes (traffic is consolidated around 320,000 passengers) generates €85 million in turnover in the region each year (including €75 million in visitor passenger spending in the local economy, €14 million on accommodation and €18 million on catering) and has an overall impact of 830 jobs (ETP)– 150 at the Carcassonne airport – which support 1,800 people. The leverage effect of 1 € public generates 21 € visitor spending on our economy”. The real threat of removal of Ryanair routes would be dramatic for the economy of the entire Heart of Occitanie.

According to stakeholders in the economic world of the Heart of Occitanie, “the future could be positive following the major investment effort decided by the Region, with the modernization of the boarding lounges in 2022 and the runway in 2026, and would allow us to hope for the development of other lines with other companies (on the Rodez model)notably on Paris-Orly following the DGAC study confirmed by the good takeoff of the Tarbes line and the relocation of the AIR France lines from Toulouse to Paris-Roissy and no longer Orly… The real threat of removal of the Ryanair lines would be dramatic for the economy of the entire Heart of Occitanie”.

And continue on “the proposed increase in the tax on plane tickets which would worsen the lack of competitiveness of small French airports compared to their European competitors”as highlighted by the Union of French Airports (UAF) and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGAC) at the beginning of December 2024 (almost twice as expensive as in Spain, Sweden or Norway, particularly due to taxation), and which may lead companies to move routes in Europe and in particular Ryanair to reduce its offer to Carcassonne. “A global mobilization process for all stakeholders in the Territory is therefore necessary to find solutions.”

In the meantime, the economic world of the Heart of Occitanie “welcomes the discussions that are underway” and wish “create a joint union allowing communities to get involved alongside the Region, the sole shareholder of SPLAR (Local Regional Airport Public Company) which manages the airports of Carcassonne, Perpignan and Tarbes”. A meeting has already been requested with the new Minister of Transport, the prefect and the president of the Region “to show this mobilization and underline the importance of the solutions to be found”.