The Hindu Business Line : Terminal 2E - beginning of a new flight for Paris

DESPITE a steep fall in air traffic worldwide - as a result of the global economic slowdown, the September 11 attacks, the Iraq invasion and the recent SARS outbreak — Aeroports de Paris, the Paris airports authority, has ambitious plans for the new terminal at the Paris-Charles de Gaulle airport (CDG) opening on Tuesday.

Terminal 2E, designed and built by ADP architects and engineers at a cost of 750 million euros, will have an annual capacity of six million passengers initially and going up to nine million. It represents the first phase in the implementation of a new airport system, officials said at a recent press briefing.

The new system will be the blueprint of the future hub for Air France and its SkyTeam partner airlines at Paris-CDG, and will optimise handling of connecting passengers and their baggage. Work on the terminal - which will handle flights of Air France and four other SkyTeam members, AeroMexico, CSA Czech Airlines, Delta Airlines and Korean Air - commenced in 1999, and was financed by ADP, which rents the building to SkyTeam member airlines.

Most flights to North America and some flights to Asia, Africa and South America will now leave from terminal 2E. Flights to India (New Delhi and Mumbai) will leave from terminals 2F and 2C.

"This may not seem like the right time for a new facility, but paradoxically, we have greater quantitative and qualitative needs now," said Mr Pierre Chassigneux, Chairman, ADP.

"Increased safety requirements slow down passenger flows within the airport, so if we want passengers to travel in an acceptable manner, we need a new facility." The terminal will integrate the various requirements for security, immigration and customs, with advanced baggage processing systems and new technologies - "even a place for the nail files and scissors that you cannot carry on board" - in a manner that permits easier movement and seamless operations, he added.

The new technologies include wi-fi access in lounges, and 400 thin film transistor wide screen monitors for information and advertising.

"Whether meeting the stringent security requirements or integrating the latest in communications techniques, everything has been done to provide a highly-efficient, user-friendly tool," Mr Chassigneux said. "We trust in the future of the industry and air travel; Air France, in particular, has weathered crises better than others before."

It will take more than trust to weather the present crisis: according to the latest quarterly report by the OAG, which monitors global airline schedules, the total number of worldwide scheduled flights has dropped by 3 per cent - equivalent to 2.5 million seats - compared to last year because of the combined impact of SARS, the war in Iraq and the worldwide economic slowdown.

But the biggest impact has been in China and the Asia Pacific region, and key transatlantic routes show little change overall. Still, transatlantic flights to/from the US and Canada at Paris-CDG were down by six per cent as compared to last year, and all flights to/from Paris-CDG were down by two per cent, according to OAG.

"It may be quite a wager to open a new terminal with such a huge capacity, but we are certain that the terminal will very quickly fulfil its purpose," said Mr Jean-Cyril Spinetta, Chairman & CEO, Air France.

"Terminal 2E is a major asset in Air France's development strategy, aimed at guaranteeing operational efficiency and offering continuously improved quality of service. These new assets will be our trump card."

The new terminal represents an investment of 50 million euros for Air France, the third ranking airline worldwide for international passenger transport. The airline reported a turnover of 12,690 million euros last fiscal, with a net profit of 120 million euros.

The new terminal - which generated 2,500 jobs - will help Air France realise greater growth, officials said. Paris has some of the world's most extensive airport infrastructure, with 14 ADP-managed airports, aerodromes and heliports. The two major international airports at Orly and Paris-CDG handle 71 million passengers and 1.7 million tonnes of cargo and mail annually.

ADP has committed 3 billion euros for the 2003-07 period to modernise its facilities, strengthen handling capacity and improve services. The potential for higher capacity is greater at Paris-CDG, officials said.

Terminal 2E has a curved structure with an impressive wooden ceiling, distinct wood-and-steel roofing shaped like an aircraft wing, and a concrete-and-glass tunnel for the boarding pier.

The terminal consists of a main concourse 450 mt long and a boarding pier 650 mt long, and will ultimately have a handling capacity of 17 on-stand parking gates. The west wing will open now, and the east wing will open in 2006-07.

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