Pau Pyrenees Airport, situated in the heart of south-west France, handled 609,535 passengers in 2012. Traffic forecast for 2013 is estimated at 640,000 passengers.
Its charter (pilgrims group) and business aviation traffic is rising. It also increased regular passenger traffic, thanks to Air France’s ‘mini’ low fares (routes from Paris, with nine daily flights, and London) and low fares with HOP airline on the Lyons route.
Pau Pyrenees Airport now wishes to generate contacts with different low-cost airlines, and develop new low-cost routes to Belgium, Italy, the UK, Spain and Morocco.
Pau Pyrenees Airport mainly handles business customers, and is the third-largest economic centre in the south-west of France, after Toulouse and Bordeaux. It is endeavouring to open the airport further to major international groups present in Pau.
These include the petroleum geological research centre, Snecma-Safran; Turbomeca, a manufacturer of helicopter motors; and Messier-Dowty, manufacturer of Airbus and Boeing undercarriages. Other companies include: Abengoa, Alstom, Euralis, Lindt, Schlumberger and Toray.
A lot of people have also noticed the vitality of the Bearn economy is less affected by the crisis than most others countries.
Tourism is a thriving activity in the Pau region, with the Pyrenees, horse industry and events, racing cars, golf, sports, patrimony, wine and gastronomy all on offer.
The airport is fully equipped and modern. It also has an all-weather landing system and its low-cost fares are attractive. Pau Pyrenees Airport manages all the tasks of the airport: handling, security, safety, cargo, and is able to help an airline in many ways.
Pau Pyrenees Airport can demonstrate to low-cost airlines the potential market and the economic partners it can provide in assisting them to launch new routes.
It is currently working on a large market study that will allow the airport to determine its potential routes.