The long-term redevelopment of Paris Le Bourget Airport (Booth No. 1229) takes a further step forward with the opening at the end of this month of a brand-new terminal to house two business aircraft operators/FBOs and several offices of other aviation-related companies.

Aeroports de Paris (ADP), the Paris area airports authority that owns the airport,
will retain ownership of the new terminal–which actually is a ?4 million ($4.8 million) makeover of an existing structure. Belgium-based business aviation services company Flying Group was the first to sign a 10-year concession agreement to occupy half the site set aside for operators. The second occupant will be the handling division of Le Bourget FBO Aero Services. Le Bourget Airport chief executive Michel De Ronne confirmed that talks are continuing with two or three other firms that are expected to occupy the remaining office space.

The Flying Group and Aero Services FBOs will have their own entrances, and the new terminal will have a separate third door for the other tenants. The three-story building provides 34,048 sq ft of space. It has a 4,305-sq-ft teak-paneled VIP roof terrace giving a panoramic view of the runway and a fully equipped conference facility with modern communications systems. On the groundside there is a car park with room for 60 vehicles.

The new terminal is located in a prime position at the main entrance to the Le Bourget site and next door to Paris’ air and space museum. De Ronne confirmed that it will open “toward the end of May” when the new clients have completed refurbishing the interiors of their new facilities. He told EBACE Convention News that the terminal is ideally situated between the main road and the runway so passengers will need only a few minutes to get to and from the airport’s main entrance to their aircraft.

This building is the latest in a series of projects that form part of ADP’s long-term plans to improve Le Bourget’s facilities. For instance, the extensive airport site also has inaugurated more user-friendly signposting with named streets and improved information panels throughout the site. Each street bears the name of a major European capital.

ADP president and managing director Pierre Graff said that with more than 57,000 movements annually, Le Bourget continues to stake its claim as Europe’s leading business aviation airport. For years there has been no major investment program to upgrade the site. “All the major companies use Le Bourget, accounting for about 130,000 passengers annually,” said Graff. “It should be a [showplace] for business in Paris.”

ADP is not stopping with the establishment of the new terminal. “Until now, clients have rented space and built as they liked but an updated airport will offer a complete package, including the site and the buildings in full consultation with our clients as to their needs,” explained Graff. “We have plenty of space available that we intend to upgrade and make viable to encourage new companies to come here. We also want to give current occupants the opportunity to expand. All our plans are conceived with respect to the environment and also involve enhancing the facility’s outside appearance.”