New at the airport: Caen is now only 3 hours from London by plane

It was a first this Friday, June 28, 2024 on the tarmac of Caen-Carpiquet airport (Calvados). An ATR 72 plane from the Chalair company took off around 10 a.m., direction de Southampton, in the south of England. A plane that can carry 70 passengers.

“Caen three hours from London”

This line to the south of England is one of the new features offered in 2024 at Caen-Carpiquet airport, with two rotations per week: one return trip on Friday, and another on Sunday.

“It’s a gentle start for the moment for this line, in terms of ridership,” explains Manuel Le Roux, president of the Caen Chamber of Commerce and Industry, which operates the infrastructure. “We need time for the public to get to know this line, and also to know thatIt puts Caen three hours from London. »

Direct trains to London

Concretely, let’s take the example of a passenger who parks at 9 a.m. in the Caen airport car park. “At 10 a.m., he is on the plane, ready to take off, arriving on the Southampton runway 45 minutes later, at… 9:45 a.m. local time, taking into account the time difference. “
All he has to do is leave the small Southampton airport and wait on the quayside, in the immediate vicinity, the train heading towards London. It takes 1h15 to reach the British capital by rail. “Which allows you to be in London at midday.”

More interesting than before

In terms of time, the route seems even more interesting than when Flybe offered flights between Caen and London, since it was necessary to arrive very early at the airport and it took more than an hour to travel between the London airport and the centre of the British capital. London Southend Airport, where flights from Caen arrived, is in fact located 70 km from the heart of the City. The train from Southampton this time drops passengers off in the heart of London.

The Caen-Southampton line will remain operational until September 21Its operators will then take stock to see if it can be extended over time.

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