With the Paris Olympics now in full swing and the GBR team eventually getting on the medals table, let’s take a look at how Paris 2024 has had an effect on private jet travel!
Sentinel Aviation crafted a very successful Collection of Olympic Events and Luxury Experiences for this year’s Olympics, with our clients flying into a variety of private jet airports, the most popular being Paris Le Bourget Airport (LBG).
The organisers of the Paris Olympics have predicted a surge of 16 million visitors for the Games, which runs from July 26 to August 11.
This will be the third time that Paris will host the event after hosting the Games in 1900 and 1924. Paris will be the second city to ever host three Games, following London, which hosted the Games in 1908, 1948, and 2012.
Fans from across the world have planned to travel to France to watch some of their country’s greatest athletes perform in the spotlight. This year’s Olympic Games are set to be one of the biggest ever recorded. Nearly 11,000 athletes are set to compete in 329 events over 32 different sports.
Paris has unsurprisingly seen a large influx of air travel through its major airports.
Specifically, private aviation is expected to become a very popular form of travel for Olympic Games attendees. Let’s take a closer look at how the increase in private jet activity is expected to affect the city. Let’s also take a look at how Paris prepared for this large increase in private aviation travel.
Increase in Business Jet Activity
Many aviation specialists believe that the influx of attendees at this year’s Olympic Games will present a unique opportunity for private aviation growth in the surrounding region.
Public figures, celebrities, politicians, sponsors, business partners, tourists, and even some athletes and their coaches and doctors may fly privately to Paris, France.
The Olympic Games themselves are spread across France, meaning there will be unique transportation needed to move guests and athletes near their intended event. Basketball and handball will take place in Lille, and soccer matches will spread among multiple cities, including Bordeaux, Nantes, Nice, Lyon, and Marseille (which will also host sailing).
The following events are scheduled to take place in the following destinations:
- Diving at the Paris Aquatic Centre
- Basketball, skateboarding, and BMX at the Place de la Concorde
- Tennis and boxing at Roland-Garros Stadium
- Track & field and rugby at the Stade de France
- Swimming and water polo at the Paris La Défense Arena
- Volleyball, table tennis, and weightlifting at Paris Expo Porte de Versailles
- Judo and wrestling at Grand Palais Éphémère
- Archery at Les Invalides
- Field hockey at Yves du Manoir Stadium
- Gymnastics and badminton at Porte de la Chapelle Arena
- Beach volleyball at Eiffel Tower Stadium
Additionally, surfing is scheduled to be held at the village of Teahupo’o on the tropical island of Tahiti. This island is nearly 10,000 miles away from Paris, France, where the majority of the other games are held, which means the competitors will need special transportation arrangements to reach the event.
Many charter companies in France and Europe have prepared for this event. Attendees may choose to fly privately for many reasons. Travellers typically have the ability to fly whenever they want in a business jet, meaning they do not have to wait for a scheduled commercial flight.
The traveller can also take a direct route to the airport of their choice as long as the jet has a capable range. Private jets are typically smaller than commercial airliners, which means that they can take off and land on smaller runways at smaller airports.
This opens up a wider range of capable airports at which to land, which may be closer to their intended destination.
Because of this, Victor, a private jet charter company, reported a 300% increase in chartered flights to France. Flexjet set up several multi-stop itineraries for customers to choose from, making the scheduling easier during the heavy travel period.
Private Jet Activity in Nearby Airports
Travellers who fly privately also depart from smaller private terminals, even in major airports. This means there is less of a wait prior to boarding their aircraft, and they can fly to more airports across the country.
According to Aero Affaires, some of the airports that will be accepting private jet flights for the Olympic Games are:
- Paris Le Bourget Airport (LBG)
- Toussus le Noble Airport (TNF)
- Lille-Lesquin Airport (LIL)
- Lyon Bron Airport (LYN)
- Marseille Provence Airport (MRS)
- Toulon-Hyères Airport (TLN)
- Cannes Mandelieu Airport (CEQ)
- Nice Côte Airport (NCE)
- Tahiti International Airport (PPT)
These airports are spread out throughout France, meaning that some are located closer to specific events. For example, sailing events are scheduled at the Marseille Marina, so attendees may prefer to fly to Marseille Provence Airport.
The Lyon Bron Airport is near the Lyon Stadium, where many soccer games are scheduled. Additionally, the Tahiti International Airport is the best airport option for those intending to spectate surfing events.
How are Manufacturers Predicted to Support the Heavy Influx
Many original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) that design and develop these business jets have new or existing infrastructure in the surrounding area to support any issues that may arise.
Dassault, a French-based manufacturer that produces the Falcon series, obviously has a large network of support stations throughout the country. This includes Go Teams, which are technicians that can report to an aircraft on the ground (AOG) as fast as possible.
Bombardier has an existing line maintenance station in both Paris and Nice, which provides a wide range of service and maintenance work for Bombardier Challengers, Bombardier Globals, and Learjets. Bombardier also has a line station in nearby Geneva, Switzerland.
Textron Aviation is another manufacturer with a service center in France. This facility is located near Paris Le Bourget Airport and can service all Cessna Citation jets, all Beechcraft aircraft, and all Hawker products.
Other manufacturers with capable service support teams in the region are Embraer, Gulfstream, and the nearby Switzerland-based company, Pilatus Aircraft.
Upgrades to Airports
The French have prepared well for the huge surge in air traffic. In the last year, both private and commercial airports have retooled. “It is in our airports that the Games will begin and end for many: everyone will make their first and last memories there,” Augustin de Romanet, chairman and CEO of Groupe Aéroports de Paris (ADP) said. “This is a magnificent challenge for the entire airport community and for our territories, and a unique opportunity to demonstrate our know-how and commitment to hospitality.”
The list of upgrades includes improvements in terminals, streamlined customs and immigration as well as added parking spaces and fueling outlets. Perhaps the most important changes involve baggage handling. ADP has said it will handle 115,000 pieces of luggage during the Games, which isn’t overwhelming considering the amount of annual traffic through one of Europe’s most popular destinations. But approximately 17,000 pieces of athletes’ luggage will be irregular, including everything from epees to kayaks, which is a challenge.
Business aviation airports are also expecting strong traffic. Le Bourget, the major stopping point in Paris for corporate jets, is already warning private-jet firms that there will be no hangar or parking slots during the week. Authorities are recommending private jets use other corporate airports in the region, located farther out from the Games.
Challenging Logistics
Logistics will also be a challenge. The opening ceremony, in particular, will feature a six-kilometer parade down the Seine through the heart of Paris. For security considerations, France will impose a six-hour, no-flight zone around the event that will extend in a 93-mile radius around Paris, a swath of 27,000 square miles that is slightly larger than Ireland.
Military aircraft with high-powered radar will patrol the sky and fighter jets will be on call to scramble at a moment’s notice. The measure will create an obstruction to such a large area in such a popular central European flight zone that several commercial operators have had to cancel hundreds of flights and private firms had to retool flight times. “It takes a lot to work around that,” says Tom Hill, director of commercial jets at Victor. “It has had a big impact on scheduling.”
Hill also reports a loss of the sort of flexibility private jet travel is known for. As part of the security considerations, operators must lock in itineraries and passenger lists earlier than normal, and there’s uncommon difficulty getting takeoff and landing slots as well as parking. All of which makes it hard for operators to offer the level of service they usually do.
Of course, after the Games wind down, both private and commercial aviation will continue at a frenetic pace. While most athletes want to leave immediately, some will have to stay longer because of aircraft scheduling demands, and yet others will just be arriving for the Paralympic Games, which begin on August 28.
