By Tim Heffer
PARIS (Reuters) – The chief executive of Air France-KLM urged Aéroports de Paris to improve the French capital's Charles de Gaulle airport, saying a shortage of jetways had led to a daily struggle for aircraft parking spaces and rising operating costs.
Speaking to reporters on the occasion of the Franco-Dutch airline group's 20th anniversary, CEO Ben Smith said that in the morning rush dozens of planes were left without a jetway or “connecting” gate, forcing passengers to use buses to get to the terminal.
“We have to have negotiations every morning with ADP, depending on what other airlines have, to try to find parking spaces for our fleet,” Smith said.
ADP did not respond to requests for comment.
In 2021, President Emmanuel Macron's government asked state-controlled ADP to submit new proposals after abandoning plans for a brand new terminal at CDG.
Smith has no regrets about the government's decision to scrap Terminal 4, citing a costly 15-year transition period and the lack of a direct link to the proposed new rail line to the capital.
Instead, he urged greater investment in existing facilities.
“We're not talking about new capabilities. We're talking about improving what's already there. It's really important to us.”
Other group executives said discussions had begun with ADP about potential changes.
Smith provided a list of other perceived faults including the long distance to maintenance hangars, and planes being tied up for hours in extra tow times. He also lamented the lack of border control staff and “outdated baggage systems.”
The dispute comes as ADP and Air France prepare to handle tens of thousands of visitors to the Olympic Games. They both say they are very prepared and cooperate well with each other.
“The infrastructure is ready, staff has been appointed and operations have been defined,” ADP Executive Vice President Edward Arkwright said at the Paris Aviation Forum last week.
'Not perfect'
Smith's comments partly reflect the fierce competition between centers in Paris, London, Frankfurt, Istanbul and the Gulf. It showed on Google Maps (NASDAQ:) how some airport maintenance facilities are closer to terminals, avoiding CDG's long drop times for routine maintenance checks.
French network Air France operates a hub in CDG's Terminal 2 and accounts for 55% of ADP's traffic. It contributes 3.2% to regional GDP, a study commissioned by the company said on Wednesday.
The hubs, pioneered by US parcel group FedEx (NYSE:) in the 1970s, allow airlines to offer more connections, attracting more traffic. To thrive, they rely on streamlined communications.
Officially opened by President François Mitterrand in 1982 just as the American transportation revolution was about to reach Europe, Terminal 2's compact halls were designed to serve an earlier agenda: shortening the time from gate to dock.
“It's not the perfect design, it's very difficult to operate,” said Anne Riegel, CEO of Air France.
During the pandemic, the area has been mostly silent. A company spokesman said that with traffic returning to normal, Air France must stop 10% of medium-haul flights and 5% of long-haul flights at long-haul flights.
For commuters, this means a bus ride and extra transit time. For the airline, this means less efficient use of the centre. Air France declined to specify a figure for the impact on operating margin, which reached negative 6.2% in the first quarter.
Charles de Gaulle Airport – which turned 50 this year – is the largest airport in the European Union, and will receive 67 million passengers in 2023.
For 2024-2025, regulators have approved an average 4.5% increase in the fees airlines pay to use the airport along with a 3% reduction in fees for using remote aircraft parking areas.
ADP said investment plans for 2023-25 include revamping baggage sorting, more communications and reducing taxi times.
