Airports - March April 2015

FEATURE
LILLE
commercial rights in 1953. The next ten
years saw steady passenger growth which
led to the construction of a new terminal
during the 1960s. Traffic was typically
business passengers flying mostly with
Air France and Air Inter to domestic
destinations. The world’s first Novotel
opened near the airport in 1967, catering
primarily for LIL travellers.
Steady growth continued through the
1970s and was sufficient to inspire the birth
of a locally-based carrier – Flandre Air. It
began with a fleet of Beech 1900s, serving
mainly small domestic destinations. The
same decade a dedicated cargo terminal
opened and the airport was also used
as a testing facility for the Anglo-French
Aerospatiale/BAC Concorde.
During the 1980s regular services were
complimented by an increasing number
of seasonal long-haul flights to the French
Caribbean islands of Guadeloupe and
Martinique, as well as scheduled links to
New York (1985). The airport’s fortunes
changed in 1994 after the opening of
the Channel Tunnel and the associated
high-speed rail station providing links
to Brussels, London and Paris. The fast
rail links were stiff competition for the
airlines and many domestic routes were
dropped, including the previously busy
one to Paris/Orly.
The airport operator, Socièté de gestion de
l’aéroport de la région de Lille (SOGAREL),
responded and invested heavily in facilities
and opened a new terminal in 1996. There
was also a shift away from serving business
travellers to a more leisure-focused market,
particularly holiday charters. Over time
this has paid off and in 2013 LIL registered
record passenger numbers of 1,661,741.
Today’s airport
Lille Airport occupies 1,112 acres (450ha)
and is bordered by five municipalities:
Lesquin, Fretin, Avelin, Templemars and
Vendeville, all part of the Lille metropolitan
area. The distinctive 96,878sq ft (9,000m 2 )
terminal was designed by French firm Denis
Sloan and can handle 2mppa. Departures
and arrivals share the same level which
creates a rather ‘cosy’ atmosphere, despite
the vast amounts of glass used to provide
a sense of openness.
The structure was refurbished in 2010
and is populated with several shops, a cafe,
restaurant (with views across the airfield),
car rental desks and an information point.
Airside there is a duty free outlet but
refreshments are limited to vending
machines. There are four airbridges,
supplemented by 11 further aircraft stands
accessed by foot. Other remote stands
are served by a fleet of buses. Within the
terminal are the SOGAREL offices and a
conference centre which is available to
rent for meetings and seminars.
Road access is excellent as LIL is close to
the A1 motorway to Paris and also has good
connections to Belgium and regional cities
such as Valencienes and Dunkirk. Because
of this, 57% of passengers arrive by car and
there are five large car parks with spaces
for around 3,700 vehicles. An hourly bus
shuttle to the city’s Lille Flandres and Lille
Europe (high-speed) railway stations takes
about 20 minutes.
Infrastructure
There are two runways, 08/26 is 9,333ft
(2,845m) long and is used for most traffic,
while 02/20 measures 5,249ft (1,600m).
The main runway is CAT III and capable
of handling aircraft up to the size of the
Antonov An-124 and the Airbus A380 – LIL
is a diversion facility for Paris/Charles de
Gaulle. Runway 08/26 has six exits linked
to a parallel taxiway and is crossed by 02/20
at its western end. Most General Aviation
traffic uses the shorter runway, winds
permitting, and, if necessary, it can also be
used by smaller passenger aircraft, such
as Embraer and Bombardier regional jets.
The airport’s fire and rescue station
and the Shell Aviation fuel supply depot,
the airport's sole provider, are near the
eastern end of runway 08/26. In addition
to its regular infrastructure, the airport
An Air Algerie
Airbus A330 arrives
from Algiers, as
viewed from the
Your’s restaurant.
A shuttle bus
to the city’s two
railway stations
prepares to leave
from the terminal.
Low-cost
carriers, such as
easyJet, have
helped to boost
passenger numbers.
The main
apron can be
particularly busy
during the summer
months. (Laurent
Ghesquiere/
Aeroport de Lille)
Airlines
Aigle Azur
Air Algerie
Air France
easyJet
Hop!
Jetairfly
Nouvelair Tunisie
Pegasus Airlines
Ryanair
Tailwind Airlines
Thomas Cook Airlines (Belgium)
Transavia.com (France)
Tunisair
Volotea
Vueling
Enthusiast Spot
Lille Airport’s panoramic restaurant Your’s is
usually open between 11:00 and the time
of the last departure and provides excellent
views across the terminal apron and Runway
08/26. It is accessed via the departures/
arrivals hall level. Photographers should
note the glass is tinted. Another vantage
point is on the elevated access road beside
the terminal. Off airport, there are various
places to either observe or photograph
aircraft around the perimeter and these can
be reached via the D145 road.
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