Charles de Gaulle International Airport
Encyclopedia
Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport , also known as Roissy Airport (or just Roissy in French), in the Paris
area, is one of the world's principal aviation centres, as well as France
's largest airport. It is named after Charles de Gaulle
(1890–1970), leader of the Free French Forces
and founder of the French Fifth Republic
. It is located within portions of several communes
, 25 km (15.5 mi) to the northeast of Paris. The airport serves as the principal hub
for Air France
.
In 2010, the airport handled 58,164,612 passengers and 525,314 aircraft movements, making it the world's seventh busiest airport
and Europe
's second busiest airport (after London Heathrow
) in passengers served. It also is the world's tenth busiest
and Europe's busiest airport in aircraft movements. In cargo traffic, the airport is the fifth busiest in the world
and the busiest in Europe, having handled 2,054,515 metric tonnes of cargo.
Management of the airport is solely under the authority of Aéroports de Paris
(ADP), which also manages Orly, Le Bourget
, Marsa Alam
in Egypt and several smaller airports in the suburbs of Paris.
design of a ten-floors-high circular building surrounded by seven satellite buildings, each with four gates. The main architect was Paul Andreu
, who was also in charge of the extensions during the following decades.
typeface
was commissioned for use in the airport and implemented on signs throughout the building in 1975. Initially called Roissy, it was renamed for its designer Adrian Frutiger
.
Until 2005, every PA announcement
made at Terminal 1 was preceded by a distinctive chime, nicknamed "Indicatif Roissy" and composed by Bernard Parmegiani
in 1971. The chime can be heard in the Roman Polanski
film Frantic
. Although the chime was officially replaced by the "Indicatif ADP" chime in late 2005 there recently have been unconfirmed reports that Indicatif Roissy has occasionally returned.
The Airport has three terminals. Terminal 1 is the oldest. Terminal 2 was originally built exclusively for Air France
, since then it has been expanded significantly and now also hosts other airlines. The third terminal (T3, formerly T9) hosts charter and low-cost airlines. The CDGVAL is a light-rail shuttle that links the terminals, railway station and parking lots. Started on 4 April 2007, the CDGVAL links all three terminals (except hall 2G). There is only a single station for Terminal 2, near the rail station, so the walk distance to the more distant halls 2A–2B is more than 500 m (1,640.4 ft) (and both CDGVAL and bus are needed to reach 2G from Terminal 1).
The central building, with a vast skylight in its centre, sees each floor dedicated to a single function. The first floor is reserved for the technical functions and is not accessible to the public. The second floor contains shops and restaurants, the passengers from the other terminals by the CDGVAL shuttle home and a part of the counters from a recent renovation. The majority of counters is located on the third floor, which also has the access to travel by taxi, bus and special vehicles. Departing travellers can reach the fourth floor, where duty-free stores and border control posts are, and access to satellite terminals in which will take place boarding tunnels passing under the tracks. Travellers arriving in these same satellites follow a path to reach the fifth floor where baggage and customs are located, as well as the arrival area and exit areas. The four upper floors are reserved for parking or use of administration and the airlines.
The passage between the third, fourth and fifth floors is done through a tangle of escalators arranged in the centre of the building. These escalators are suspended over the central court and are therefore open. Each escalator is covered with a transparent tube for insulation. These escalators were often used in films (for example, in The Last Gang of Ariel Zeitoun). The Alan Parsons Project album I Robot
features these escalators on its cover.
Andreu initially had envisaged building several terminals on this model. Nevertheless, the first years of operation identified several defects due to the original design of the building. Thus, there is not great hall of the building, unlike other designs to more traditional airports makes his operation more complicated when connecting flights. Many passengers have been disappointed to have no view of planes from the main terminal, in contrast to the situation at the airport of Orly. Finally, the satellite design requires passengers to take an important journey on foot to climb the aircraft or for its descent and the baggage retrieval. It thus paved the way for a more traditional design for future terminals at CDG.
Terminal 1 has a single main building for check-in
and baggage reclaim
with 7 satellites for arrivals and departures. Each satellite can handle about 5 aircraft at any given time. Underground walkway
s with moving walkway
s connect the satellites to the main building. Terminal 1 was built in an avant-garde design which is maintained today even though interior sections of the building have been renovated and modernised. The RER
station for Terminal 1, Aéroport Charles de Gaulle 1, is at a distance from Terminal 1 must be reached using the free CDGVAL
automatic light rail
system (Véhicule Automatique Léger (VAL); previously, shuttle buses
were used.
station, Aéroport Charles de Gaulle 2 – TGV
, below the common area linking halls 2C–2F.
E50, killing four people. Two of the dead were reported to be Chinese citizens and another a Czech. Three other people were injured in the collapse. Terminal 2E had been inaugurated in 2003 after some delays in construction and was designed by Paul Andreu
. Administrative and judicial enquiries were started. Andreu also designed Terminal 3 at Dubai International Airport
, which collapsed while under construction on 28 September 2004.
Before this accident, ADP had been planning for an initial public offering
in 2005 with the new terminal as a major attraction for investors. The partial collapse and indefinite closing of the terminal just before the beginning of summer seriously hurt the airport's business plan.
In February 2005, the results from the administrative inquiry were published. The experts pointed out that there was no single fault, but rather a number of causes for the collapse, in a design that had little margin for safety. The inquiry found the concrete vaulted roof
was not resilient enough and had been pierced by metallic pillars and some openings weakened the structure. Sources close to the inquiry also disclosed that the whole building chain had worked as close to the limits as possible, so as to reduce costs. Paul Andreu denounced the building companies for having not correctly prepared the reinforced concrete
.
On 17 March 2005, ADP decided to tear down and rebuild the whole part of Terminal 2E (the "jetty") of which a section had collapsed, at a cost of approximately €100 million. The reconstruction replaced the innovative concrete tube style of the jetty with a more traditional steel and glass structure. During reconstruction, two temporary departure lounges were constructed in the vicinity of the terminal that replicated the capacity of 2E before the collapse. The terminal reopened completely on 30 March 2008.
The completion of 750 m (2,460.6 ft) long Satellite 3 (or S3) to the immediate east of Terminals 2E and 2F provides further jetways for large-capacity airliners, specifically the Airbus A380
. Check-in and baggage handling
are provided by the existing infrastructure in Terminals 2E and 2F. Satellite 3 was opened in part on 27 June 2007 and fully operational in September 2007.
Construction began on a new terminal building, Terminal 2G, to the east of the S3 construction site in September 2006, with the first stone of the new building itself laid in March 2007. This terminal was in operation in March 2009. It is connected to the Terminal 2 complex by shuttle buses. 2G is used for passengers flying in the Schengen Area
(and thus has no passport control) and handles Air France regional and European traffic and provides small-capacity planes (up to 150 passengers) with a faster turnaround time than is currently possible by enabling them to park close to the new terminal building and boarding passengers primarily by bus, or walking. Its bus connection is outside the security area and a security check is needed also for transfer passengers. At least 20 minutes must be planned as time when getting from another terminal to the 2G departure area.
Future use of Terminal 2 by Air France constantly evolves thanks to the development and opening of the S3 complex and the new 2G section of Terminal 2. On 30 March 2008, the reopening of Terminal 2E was completed, allowing maximum passenger activity and full airport services. Air France operations are now concentrated at Terminals 2C, 2D, 2E, 2F and 2G and it has ceased operating from Terminals 2A and 2B.
To facilitate transfers, paths in the restricted area between terminals 2A and 2C, and between terminals 2E and 2F, are planned to open in the second and third quarters of 2012. Once terminal 2B reopens, terminal 2D will be closed for a complete restructuration. EasyJet has shown their interest into being the only airline operating at terminal 2B at that time.
, the Hilton
Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport, and le Dôme building. Le Dôme includes the head office of Air France Consulting, an Air France subsidiary. Continental Square has the head office of XL Airways France
, the head office of Air France subsidiary Servair
and the Air France Vaccinations Centre.
In addition to the scheduled airlines above, Charles de Gaulle Airport is used by some further airlines for chartered flights, including:
high-speed national rail network.
suburban route (9,10 € in 2011). In off-peak hours and during the weekend, there are two types of services: 4 times per hour to Saint-Rémy-lès-Chevreuse
calling at all stations to Cité Universitaire
, then Bourg-la-Reine
, La Croix de Berny
, Antony
, Massy – Palaiseau
and then all stations to Saint-Rémy-lès-Chevreuse and 4 times per hour to Massy–Palaiseau (on the Saint-Rémy line), express until Gare du Nord
and then all stations to Massy–Palaiseau. The fast services take about 30 minutes to the Gare du Nord, the stopping services about 35. There are two RER B stations inside the airport:
RER B both serves CDG airport (with a travelling clientele) as well as northern suburbs of Paris. The line, operated by SNCF
, suffers from slowness and saturation. For these reasons, French authorities have started two projects: one, CDG Express
, is supposed to link CDG to Paris Gare de l'Est
from 2016 with trains specifically designed for air travellers, but seems to be in stand-by; the other, RER B Nord Plus, will modernise and streamline the northern branches of RER B.
, Lille, Strasbourg
, Dijon
, Lyon
, Marseille
, Montpellier
, Toulouse
, Bordeaux
, Nantes
, Poitiers
, Rennes
, as well as services to Brussels in Belgium.
(10 € in 2011).
There is a bus and coach station in Roissypôle, next to the RER B station. Buses departing from this station include RATP lines 350 and 351 going to Paris and the bus going to the Parc Astérix
.
Air France
operates "Les Cars Air France" to several destinations: Place de l'Etoile
(15 € in 2011), Porte Maillot
, Gare Montparnasse
, Gare de Lyon
, or Paris-Orly.
After the last RER B of 23:56, the Noctilien night bus N143 and N140 departs every half hour and hour respectively from terminal 1 door D12, terminal 2F door 2 and Roissypôle at Aéroport Charles de Gaulle 1
(4 Paris ticket "t" in 2011).
(for general aviation
and private jets
). Some low-cost airlines
also advertise Beauvais-Tillé Airport as serving Paris, using the name Paris-Beauvais to designate it.
. In July 2006 he was hospitalised and later taken care of by charities; he did not return to the airport.
s and hare
s, which can be seen by passengers at certain times of the day. The airport organises periodic hunts and captures to keep the population to manageable levels.
Collapse of Terminal 2E
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
area, is one of the world's principal aviation centres, as well as France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
's largest airport. It is named after Charles de Gaulle
Charles de Gaulle
Charles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle was a French general and statesman who led the Free French Forces during World War II. He later founded the French Fifth Republic in 1958 and served as its first President from 1959 to 1969....
(1890–1970), leader of the Free French Forces
Free French Forces
The Free French Forces were French partisans in World War II who decided to continue fighting against the forces of the Axis powers after the surrender of France and subsequent German occupation and, in the case of Vichy France, collaboration with the Germans.-Definition:In many sources, Free...
and founder of the French Fifth Republic
French Fifth Republic
The Fifth Republic is the fifth and current republican constitution of France, introduced on 4 October 1958. The Fifth Republic emerged from the collapse of the French Fourth Republic, replacing the prior parliamentary government with a semi-presidential system...
. It is located within portions of several communes
Communes of France
The commune is the lowest level of administrative division in the French Republic. French communes are roughly equivalent to incorporated municipalities or villages in the United States or Gemeinden in Germany...
, 25 km (15.5 mi) to the northeast of Paris. The airport serves as the principal hub
Airline hub
An airline hub is an airport that an airline uses as a transfer point to get passengers to their intended destination. It is part of a hub and spoke model, where travelers moving between airports not served by direct flights change planes en route to their destinations...
for Air France
Air France
Air France , stylised as AIRFRANCE, is the French flag carrier headquartered in Tremblay-en-France, , and is one of the world's largest airlines. It is a subsidiary of the Air France-KLM Group and a founding member of the SkyTeam global airline alliance...
.
In 2010, the airport handled 58,164,612 passengers and 525,314 aircraft movements, making it the world's seventh busiest airport
World's busiest airports by passenger traffic
The world's busiest airports by passenger traffic are measured by number of total passengers . One passenger is described as someone who arrives in, departs from, or transfers through the airport on a given day...
and Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
's second busiest airport (after London Heathrow
London Heathrow Airport
London Heathrow Airport or Heathrow , in the London Borough of Hillingdon, is the busiest airport in the United Kingdom and the third busiest airport in the world in terms of total passenger traffic, handling more international passengers than any other airport around the globe...
) in passengers served. It also is the world's tenth busiest
World's busiest airports by traffic movements
The thirty world's busiest airports by aircraft movements are measured by total movements . One total movement is a landing or take off of an aircraft.- 2010 final statistics :-2009 final statistics:...
and Europe's busiest airport in aircraft movements. In cargo traffic, the airport is the fifth busiest in the world
World's busiest airports by cargo traffic
The world's thirty busiest airports by cargo traffic for various periods . Numbers listed refer to loaded and unloaded freight in metric tonnes.-2010 final statistics:...
and the busiest in Europe, having handled 2,054,515 metric tonnes of cargo.
Location
Charles de Gaulle Airport extends over 32.38 km² (12.5 sq mi) of land. The choice of this vast area was made based on the limited number of potential relocations and expropriations and the possibility to further expand the airport in the future. It straddles three départements and six communes:- Seine-et-MarneSeine-et-MarneSeine-et-Marne is a French department, named after the Seine and Marne rivers, and located in the Île-de-France region.- History:Seine-et-Marne is one of the original 83 departments, created on March 4, 1790 during the French Revolution in application of the law of December 22, 1789...
département: communes of Le Mesnil-AmelotLe Mesnil-AmelotLe Mesnil-Amelot is a commune in the Seine-et-Marne département in the Île-de-France region in north-central France.-External links:* * *...
(Terminals 2E, 2F ), MauregardMauregardMauregard is a commune in the Seine-et-Marne department in the Île-de-France region in north-central France.Charles de Gaulle International Airport is partly build on the territory of the commune Mauregard where Terminal 1 and Terminal 3 are located...
(Terminals 1, 3), Mitry-MoryMitry-MoryMitry-Mory is a commune in the Seine-et-Marne department in the Île-de-France region in north-central France. It is located in the north-eastern suburbs of Paris from the center just off the N2 national highway.... - Seine-Saint-DenisSeine-Saint-Denis- Culture :A number of hip hop artists come from the Seine-Saint-Denis, including one of the first major hip-hop groups in France, NTM, as well as Lord Kossity, or more recent acts such as Tandem or Sefyu.- Miscellaneous topics :...
département: commune of Tremblay-en-FranceTremblay-en-FranceTremblay-en-France is a commune in the northeastern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the center of Paris.More than one-quarter of Charles de Gaulle Airport lies on the territory of the commune of Tremblay-en-France, in particular terminals 2A, 2B, 2C, and 2D...
(Terminals 2A, 2B, 2C, 2D, and Roissypôle) - Val-d'OiseVal-d'OiseVal-d'Oise is a French department, created in 1968 after the split of the Seine-et-Oise department and located in the Île-de-France region. In local slang, it is known as "quatre-vingt quinze" or "neuf cinq"...
département: communes of Roissy-en-FranceRoissy-en-FranceRoissy-en-France is a commune in the northeastern suburbs of Paris, France, in the Val d'Oise department. It is located from the center of Paris....
and Épiais-lès-LouvresÉpiais-lès-LouvresÉpiais-lès-Louvres is a commune in the Val-d'Oise department in Île-de-France in northern France.-References:** -External links:* *...
Management of the airport is solely under the authority of Aéroports de Paris
Aéroports de Paris
Aéroports de Paris or ADP is the airport authority that owns and manages the fourteen civil airports and airfields in the Île-de-France area. Among its notable airports are Charles de Gaulle International Airport, Orly Airport and Le Bourget Airport...
(ADP), which also manages Orly, Le Bourget
Paris – Le Bourget Airport
Paris – Le Bourget Airport is an airport located in Le Bourget, Bonneuil-en-France, and Dugny, north-northeast of Paris, France. It is now used only for general aviation as well as air shows...
, Marsa Alam
Marsa Alam International Airport
Marsa Alam International Airport is a growing airport in Marsa Alam, Egypt. In response to the increasing needs of European travelers to this southern Red Sea destination, along with many other airports in the Red Sea such as Sharm el-Sheikh International Airport in Sharm el-Sheikh, Marsa Alam is...
in Egypt and several smaller airports in the suburbs of Paris.
History
The planning and construction phase of what was known then as Aéroport de Paris Nord (Paris North Airport) began in 1966. On 8 March 1974 the airport, renamed Charles de Gaulle Airport, began service. Terminal 1 was built in an avant-gardeAvant-garde
Avant-garde means "advance guard" or "vanguard". The adjective form is used in English to refer to people or works that are experimental or innovative, particularly with respect to art, culture, and politics....
design of a ten-floors-high circular building surrounded by seven satellite buildings, each with four gates. The main architect was Paul Andreu
Paul Andreu
Paul Andreu is a renowned French architect. He is best known for having planned numerous airports worldwide, notably Ninoy Aquino International Airport , Soekarno-Hatta International Airport , Shanghai Pudong International Airport Abu Dhabi International Airport, Dubai International Airport,...
, who was also in charge of the extensions during the following decades.
Corporate identity
The FrutigerFrutiger
Frutiger is a series of typefaces named after its designer, Adrian Frutiger. Initially available as a sans serif, it was later expanded to include ornamental and serif typefaces.-Distinctive characteristics:Characteristics of this typeface are:...
typeface
Typeface
In typography, a typeface is the artistic representation or interpretation of characters; it is the way the type looks. Each type is designed and there are thousands of different typefaces in existence, with new ones being developed constantly....
was commissioned for use in the airport and implemented on signs throughout the building in 1975. Initially called Roissy, it was renamed for its designer Adrian Frutiger
Adrian Frutiger
Adrian Frutiger is one of the prominent typeface designers of the 20th century, who continues to influence the direction of digital typography in the 21st century; he is best known for creating the typefaces Univers and Frutiger.-Early life:Adrian Frutiger was born in Unterseen, Canton of Bern, as...
.
Until 2005, every PA announcement
Public address
A public address system is an electronic amplification system with a mixer, amplifier and loudspeakers, used to reinforce a sound source, e.g., a person giving a speech, a DJ playing prerecorded music, and distributing the sound throughout a venue or building.Simple PA systems are often used in...
made at Terminal 1 was preceded by a distinctive chime, nicknamed "Indicatif Roissy" and composed by Bernard Parmegiani
Bernard Parmegiani
Bernard Parmegiani is a composer best known for his electronic or acousmatic music.-Biography:Between 1957 and 1961 he studied mime with Jacques Lecoq, a period he later regarded as important to his work as a composer...
in 1971. The chime can be heard in the Roman Polanski
Roman Polanski
Roman Polanski is a French-Polish film director, producer, writer and actor. Having made films in Poland, Britain, France and the USA, he is considered one of the few "truly international filmmakers."...
film Frantic
Frantic (film)
Frantic is a 1988 thriller film directed by Roman Polanski and starring Harrison Ford and Emmanuelle Seigner.- Synopsis :Harrison Ford plays Dr. Richard Walker, a surgeon visiting Paris with his wife Sondra for a medical conference. At their hotel, she is unable to unlock her suitcase, and Walker...
. Although the chime was officially replaced by the "Indicatif ADP" chime in late 2005 there recently have been unconfirmed reports that Indicatif Roissy has occasionally returned.
Terminals
Air France
Air France , stylised as AIRFRANCE, is the French flag carrier headquartered in Tremblay-en-France, , and is one of the world's largest airlines. It is a subsidiary of the Air France-KLM Group and a founding member of the SkyTeam global airline alliance...
, since then it has been expanded significantly and now also hosts other airlines. The third terminal (T3, formerly T9) hosts charter and low-cost airlines. The CDGVAL is a light-rail shuttle that links the terminals, railway station and parking lots. Started on 4 April 2007, the CDGVAL links all three terminals (except hall 2G). There is only a single station for Terminal 2, near the rail station, so the walk distance to the more distant halls 2A–2B is more than 500 m (1,640.4 ft) (and both CDGVAL and bus are needed to reach 2G from Terminal 1).
Terminal 1
The first terminal, designed by Paul Andreu, was built in the image of an octopus. It consists of a circular central part dedicated to the home for travellers, placed in the middle of tarmac, of which seven satellites which are erected planes and actual boarding rooms. The eighth satellite location is occupied by access ramps for motor vehicles and a rail shuttle station.The central building, with a vast skylight in its centre, sees each floor dedicated to a single function. The first floor is reserved for the technical functions and is not accessible to the public. The second floor contains shops and restaurants, the passengers from the other terminals by the CDGVAL shuttle home and a part of the counters from a recent renovation. The majority of counters is located on the third floor, which also has the access to travel by taxi, bus and special vehicles. Departing travellers can reach the fourth floor, where duty-free stores and border control posts are, and access to satellite terminals in which will take place boarding tunnels passing under the tracks. Travellers arriving in these same satellites follow a path to reach the fifth floor where baggage and customs are located, as well as the arrival area and exit areas. The four upper floors are reserved for parking or use of administration and the airlines.
The passage between the third, fourth and fifth floors is done through a tangle of escalators arranged in the centre of the building. These escalators are suspended over the central court and are therefore open. Each escalator is covered with a transparent tube for insulation. These escalators were often used in films (for example, in The Last Gang of Ariel Zeitoun). The Alan Parsons Project album I Robot
I Robot (album)
I Robot is a progressive rock album recorded by The Alan Parsons Project, engineered by Alan Parsons and Eric Woolfson in 1977. It was released by Arista Records in 1977 and re-released on CD in 1984 and 2007. It was intended to be based on the I, Robot stories written by Isaac Asimov, and Woolfson...
features these escalators on its cover.
Andreu initially had envisaged building several terminals on this model. Nevertheless, the first years of operation identified several defects due to the original design of the building. Thus, there is not great hall of the building, unlike other designs to more traditional airports makes his operation more complicated when connecting flights. Many passengers have been disappointed to have no view of planes from the main terminal, in contrast to the situation at the airport of Orly. Finally, the satellite design requires passengers to take an important journey on foot to climb the aircraft or for its descent and the baggage retrieval. It thus paved the way for a more traditional design for future terminals at CDG.
Terminal 1 has a single main building for check-in
Airport check-in
Airport check-in uses service counters found at commercial airports handling commercial air travel. The check-in is normally handled by an airline itself or a handling agent working on behalf of an airline...
and baggage reclaim
Baggage claim
In airport terminals, a baggage claim area is an area where arriving passengers claim checked-in baggage after disembarking from an airline flight. The alternative term baggage reclaim is used to mean the same thing at many airports outside the USA In airport terminals, a baggage claim area is an...
with 7 satellites for arrivals and departures. Each satellite can handle about 5 aircraft at any given time. Underground walkway
Walkway
In US English, a walkway is a composite or umbrella term for all engineered surfaces or structures which support the use of trails. These include sidewalks, footbridges, stiles, stairs, ramps, paseos or tunnels...
s with moving walkway
Moving walkway
A moving walkway or moving sidewalk is a slow moving conveyor mechanism that transports people, across a horizontal...
s connect the satellites to the main building. Terminal 1 was built in an avant-garde design which is maintained today even though interior sections of the building have been renovated and modernised. The RER
RER
The RER is a rapid transit system in France serving Paris and its suburbs. The RER is an integration of a modern city-centre underground rail and a pre-existing set of commuter rail lines. It has several connections with the Paris Métro within the city of Paris. Within the city, the RER...
station for Terminal 1, Aéroport Charles de Gaulle 1, is at a distance from Terminal 1 must be reached using the free CDGVAL
CDGVAL
CDGVAL is a free automatic shuttle rail service at Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport consisting in two lines : a first line which opened on 4 April 2007 and a second on 27 June 2007...
automatic light rail
Light rail
Light rail or light rail transit is a form of urban rail public transportation that generally has a lower capacity and lower speed than heavy rail and metro systems, but higher capacity and higher speed than traditional street-running tram systems...
system (Véhicule Automatique Léger (VAL); previously, shuttle buses
Airport bus
An airport bus, or airport shuttle bus or airport shuttle is a bus or coach used to transport people to/from, or within airports. These vehicles will usually be equipped with larger luggage space, and incorporate special branding....
were used.
Terminal 2
Today Terminal 2 consists of multiple terminals joined together by ground-level or below-ground passageways. The seven terminals consist of 2A, 2B, 2C, 2D, 2E, 2F and the separate 2G. Terminal 2G is located 2.5 km (1.6 mi) away from the terminals 2A–2F and a bus ride is needed for transfer. Terminal 2 also has an RER and TGVTGV
The TGV is France's high-speed rail service, currently operated by SNCF Voyages, the long-distance rail branch of SNCF, the French national rail operator....
station, Aéroport Charles de Gaulle 2 – TGV
Aéroport Charles de Gaulle 2 – TGV
Aéroport Charles de Gaulle 2 TGV is a railway station located in terminal two D of Charles de Gaulle Airport in Tremblay-en-France, North Paris, France.-Services:Both TGV and RER B trains stop at the station, as it a terminus of the RER B...
, below the common area linking halls 2C–2F.
Collapse of Terminal 2E
Terminal 2E, with a daring design and wide open spaces, was CDG's newest addition. On 23 May 2004, not long after its inauguration, a portion of Terminal 2E's ceiling collapsed early in the day, near GateGate (airport)
A gate in aviation is a long, movable, "bridge" that allows passengers to embark and disembark their aircraft.* Jetway bridges* Air stairs, either built into the aircraft or from a mobile vehicle* Mobile lounges...
E50, killing four people. Two of the dead were reported to be Chinese citizens and another a Czech. Three other people were injured in the collapse. Terminal 2E had been inaugurated in 2003 after some delays in construction and was designed by Paul Andreu
Paul Andreu
Paul Andreu is a renowned French architect. He is best known for having planned numerous airports worldwide, notably Ninoy Aquino International Airport , Soekarno-Hatta International Airport , Shanghai Pudong International Airport Abu Dhabi International Airport, Dubai International Airport,...
. Administrative and judicial enquiries were started. Andreu also designed Terminal 3 at Dubai International Airport
Dubai International Airport
Dubai International Airport is an international airport serving Dubai, the largest city of the United Arab Emirates. It is a major aviation hub in the Middle East, and is the main airport of Dubai. It is situated in the Al Garhoud district, southeast of Dubai...
, which collapsed while under construction on 28 September 2004.
Before this accident, ADP had been planning for an initial public offering
Initial public offering
An initial public offering or stock market launch, is the first sale of stock by a private company to the public. It can be used by either small or large companies to raise expansion capital and become publicly traded enterprises...
in 2005 with the new terminal as a major attraction for investors. The partial collapse and indefinite closing of the terminal just before the beginning of summer seriously hurt the airport's business plan.
In February 2005, the results from the administrative inquiry were published. The experts pointed out that there was no single fault, but rather a number of causes for the collapse, in a design that had little margin for safety. The inquiry found the concrete vaulted roof
Vault (architecture)
A Vault is an architectural term for an arched form used to provide a space with a ceiling or roof. The parts of a vault exert lateral thrust that require a counter resistance. When vaults are built underground, the ground gives all the resistance required...
was not resilient enough and had been pierced by metallic pillars and some openings weakened the structure. Sources close to the inquiry also disclosed that the whole building chain had worked as close to the limits as possible, so as to reduce costs. Paul Andreu denounced the building companies for having not correctly prepared the reinforced concrete
Reinforced concrete
Reinforced concrete is concrete in which reinforcement bars , reinforcement grids, plates or fibers have been incorporated to strengthen the concrete in tension. It was invented by French gardener Joseph Monier in 1849 and patented in 1867. The term Ferro Concrete refers only to concrete that is...
.
On 17 March 2005, ADP decided to tear down and rebuild the whole part of Terminal 2E (the "jetty") of which a section had collapsed, at a cost of approximately €100 million. The reconstruction replaced the innovative concrete tube style of the jetty with a more traditional steel and glass structure. During reconstruction, two temporary departure lounges were constructed in the vicinity of the terminal that replicated the capacity of 2E before the collapse. The terminal reopened completely on 30 March 2008.
Expansion plans 2007–2012
Apart from the reconstruction of Terminal 2E, two major terminal extensions are underway as of 2008.The completion of 750 m (2,460.6 ft) long Satellite 3 (or S3) to the immediate east of Terminals 2E and 2F provides further jetways for large-capacity airliners, specifically the Airbus A380
Airbus A380
The Airbus A380 is a double-deck, wide-body, four-engine jet airliner manufactured by the European corporation Airbus, a subsidiary of EADS. It is the largest passenger airliner in the world. Due to its size, many airports had to modify and improve facilities to accommodate it...
. Check-in and baggage handling
Baggage Handling System
A baggage handling system is a type of conveyor system installed in airports that transports checked luggage from ticket counters to areas where the bags can be loaded onto airplanes...
are provided by the existing infrastructure in Terminals 2E and 2F. Satellite 3 was opened in part on 27 June 2007 and fully operational in September 2007.
Construction began on a new terminal building, Terminal 2G, to the east of the S3 construction site in September 2006, with the first stone of the new building itself laid in March 2007. This terminal was in operation in March 2009. It is connected to the Terminal 2 complex by shuttle buses. 2G is used for passengers flying in the Schengen Area
Schengen Area
The Schengen Area comprises the territories of twenty-five European countries that have implemented the Schengen Agreement signed in the town of Schengen, Luxembourg, in 1985...
(and thus has no passport control) and handles Air France regional and European traffic and provides small-capacity planes (up to 150 passengers) with a faster turnaround time than is currently possible by enabling them to park close to the new terminal building and boarding passengers primarily by bus, or walking. Its bus connection is outside the security area and a security check is needed also for transfer passengers. At least 20 minutes must be planned as time when getting from another terminal to the 2G departure area.
Future use of Terminal 2 by Air France constantly evolves thanks to the development and opening of the S3 complex and the new 2G section of Terminal 2. On 30 March 2008, the reopening of Terminal 2E was completed, allowing maximum passenger activity and full airport services. Air France operations are now concentrated at Terminals 2C, 2D, 2E, 2F and 2G and it has ceased operating from Terminals 2A and 2B.
Future
The satellite S4, adjacent to the S3 and part of terminal 2E, is scheduled to be opened in the third quarter of 2012. Dedicated to long-haul flights, it will be able to handle 16 aircraft at the same time, with an expected capacity of 7.8 million passengers per year. Its opening will allow the movement all Skyteam airlines to terminals 2E, 2F , 2G, to restrict terminal 2F to Schengen area flights, and a closure of terminal 2B for renovation works.To facilitate transfers, paths in the restricted area between terminals 2A and 2C, and between terminals 2E and 2F, are planned to open in the second and third quarters of 2012. Once terminal 2B reopens, terminal 2D will be closed for a complete restructuration. EasyJet has shown their interest into being the only airline operating at terminal 2B at that time.
Terminal 3
Terminal 3 has a single hall. It is located 1 km (0.621372736649807 mi) from Terminal 1, but the walking path is 3 km (1.9 mi) long. The RER and CDGVAL trains are at a distance of 300 m (984.3 ft) on foot.Roissypôle
Roissypôle is a complex consisting of office buildings, shopping areas, and hotels within Charles de Gaulle Airport. The complex includes the head office of Air France, Continental SquareContinental Square
Continental Square is a office complex located in Roissypôle on the grounds of Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport and in Tremblay-en-France, France, developed by Seifert Architects. The complex has a surface area of and consists of eight buildings...
, the Hilton
Hilton Hotels
Hilton Hotels & Resorts is an international chain of full-service hotels and resorts founded by Conrad Hilton and now owned by Hilton Worldwide. Hilton hotels are either owned by, managed by, or franchised to independent operators by Hilton Worldwide. Hilton Hotels became the first coast-to-coast...
Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport, and le Dôme building. Le Dôme includes the head office of Air France Consulting, an Air France subsidiary. Continental Square has the head office of XL Airways France
XL Airways France
XL Airways France is a French airline with its head offices on the grounds of Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport and in Tremblay-en-France. It operates scheduled flights mainly to long-haul destinations in Africa, the Middle East and the Caribbean as well as charter flights to medium-haul destinations...
, the head office of Air France subsidiary Servair
Servair
Servair is a subsidiary of the French airline Air France, specialised in airline catering. Servair has its head office in the Continental Square complex in Roissypôle, Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport and in Tremblay-en-France....
and the Air France Vaccinations Centre.
Airlines and destinations
In addition to the scheduled airlines above, Charles de Gaulle Airport is used by some further airlines for chartered flights, including:
|
Nouvelair Nouvelair Limited Company is a Tunisian airline with its registered office in Tunis, while its head office in the Dhkila Tourist Zone in Monastir, near the Hôtel Sahara Beach. The airline operates tourist charters from European cities to Tunisian holiday resorts... Onur Air Onur Air is an airline based in Florya, Bakırköy district, Istanbul, Turkey. It operates scheduled domestic services and charter flights to a large number of destinations throughout Europe from its main base at Atatürk International Airport... Sky Airlines Sky Airlines is an airline which operates chartered flights. It is based in Antalya, Turkey, operating on behalf of tour operators on short and medium haul routes into Turkey. The company was established in 2000 and started operations in 2001. It is wholly owned to by Kayi Group... |
XL Airways France XL Airways France is a French airline with its head offices on the grounds of Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport and in Tremblay-en-France. It operates scheduled flights mainly to long-haul destinations in Africa, the Middle East and the Caribbean as well as charter flights to medium-haul destinations... |
Cargo
Statistics
| Passengers | Change from previous year | Movements | Cargo (tonnes) | Mail (tonnes) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | 48,358,499 | 510,098 | 1,398,900 | 227,400 | |
| 2003 | 48,220,436 | 0.3% | 515,025 | 1,496,800 | 226,800 |
| 2004 | 51,260,363 | 6.3% | 516,425 | 1,635,680 | 239,258 |
| 2005 | 53,798,308 | 5.0% | 522,559 | 1,767,250 | 243,101 |
| 2006 | 56,849,567 | 5.7% | 541,566 | 1,884,200 | 246,524 |
| 2007 | 59,922,177 | 5.4% | 552,721 | 2,052,740 | 245,156 |
| 2008 | 60,874,681 | 1.6% | 559,816 | 2,039,460 | 240,589 |
| 2009 | 57,906,866 | 4.9% | 525,314 | 1,818,503 | 236,012 |
| 2010 | 58,167,062 | 0.4% | 499,997 | 2,177,371 | 221,696 |
| Source: Union des aéroports Français | |||||
Rail
CDG is connected to Paris, as well as the rest of France and Europe by both the RER, Paris' suburban rail network, and the TGVTGV
The TGV is France's high-speed rail service, currently operated by SNCF Voyages, the long-distance rail branch of SNCF, the French national rail operator....
high-speed national rail network.
RER
CDG airport is connected to Paris by the RER BRER B
The RER B is one of the five lines in the RER rapid transit system serving :Paris, France.The line runs from the northern termini Aéroport Charles de Gaulle and Mitry-Claye to the southern termini Robinson and Saint-Rémy-lès-Chevreuse ....
suburban route (9,10 € in 2011). In off-peak hours and during the weekend, there are two types of services: 4 times per hour to Saint-Rémy-lès-Chevreuse
Saint-Rémy-lès-Chevreuse (Paris RER)
Saint-Rémy-lès-Chevreuse is a railway station in Saint-Rémy-lès-Chevreuse, Paris, Île-de-France, France.-The Station:The station opened in 26 August 1867 and is located on the Ligne de Sceaux and has been an RER station since 9 December 1977...
calling at all stations to Cité Universitaire
Cité Universitaire (Paris RER)
Cité Universitaire is a station of the Line B of the Paris Region's express suburban rail system, the RER. It is situated in the 14th arrondissement of Paris. The station serves the Cité Internationale Universitaire de Paris.-Adjacent station:...
, then Bourg-la-Reine
Bourg-la-Reine
Bourg-la-Reine is a commune in the southern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the center of Paris. The inhabitants are called Réginaburgiens. The town is twinned with Kenilworth, UK.-History:...
, La Croix de Berny
La Croix de Berny (Paris RER)
La Croix de Berny is a station of Paris RER, localised in Antony, not far from Sceaux, and the beautiful park of Colbert Castle.-Bus line connection:...
, Antony
Antony (Paris RER)
Antony is a station of the Paris RER. It is named after the city of Antony, Hauts-de-Seine where the station is located. The station allows the transfer from the RER B to Orlyval, a small automatic light rail line which runs a shuttle service to Orly Airport.-History:* 1937: Station built as part...
, Massy – Palaiseau
Massy – Palaiseau (Paris RER)
Massy - Palaiseau is an RER station, located in the city of Massy, with a junction of the RER B and RER C . It's a station in this southern outer suburb of Paris, with a connection with the TGV station, called Gare de Massy TGV....
and then all stations to Saint-Rémy-lès-Chevreuse and 4 times per hour to Massy–Palaiseau (on the Saint-Rémy line), express until Gare du Nord
Gare du Nord
Paris Nord is one of the six large terminus railway stations of the SNCF mainline network for Paris, France. It offers connections with several urban transportation lines, including Paris Métro and RER...
and then all stations to Massy–Palaiseau. The fast services take about 30 minutes to the Gare du Nord, the stopping services about 35. There are two RER B stations inside the airport:
- one, called Aéroport Charles de Gaulle 1Aéroport Charles de Gaulle 1 (Paris RER)Aéroport Charles de Gaulle 1 is one of two railway stations at Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport, France.-The station:The station opened in 30 May 1976 and is located on the Roissy railway line. The station is served by RER Line B services operated by SNCF...
, is located inside Roissypôle (an area with hotels and company offices) next to Terminal 3 and is the preferred way to access Terminals 1 and 3; - the other, called Aéroport Charles de Gaulle 2 – TGV, is located beside the TGV station under Terminal 2.
RER B both serves CDG airport (with a travelling clientele) as well as northern suburbs of Paris. The line, operated by SNCF
SNCF
The SNCF , is France's national state-owned railway company. SNCF operates the country's national rail services, including the TGV, France's high-speed rail network...
, suffers from slowness and saturation. For these reasons, French authorities have started two projects: one, CDG Express
CDG Express
CDG Express is a planned project to connect Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport and Paris by rail. Proposed to alleviate the saturation of the RER B line, it would connect terminal 2 to the Gare de l'Est....
, is supposed to link CDG to Paris Gare de l'Est
Gare de l'Est
is one of the six large SNCF termini in Paris. It is in the 10th arrondissement, not far from the Gare du Nord, facing the Boulevard de Strasbourg, part of the north-south axis of Paris created by Baron Haussmann...
from 2016 with trains specifically designed for air travellers, but seems to be in stand-by; the other, RER B Nord Plus, will modernise and streamline the northern branches of RER B.
TGV
Terminal 2 includes a TGV station on the LGV Interconnexion Est high-speed line. SNCF operates direct TGV services to several French stations from CDG, including Le HavreLe Havre
Le Havre is a city in the Seine-Maritime department of the Haute-Normandie region in France. It is situated in north-western France, on the right bank of the mouth of the river Seine on the English Channel. Le Havre is the most populous commune in the Haute-Normandie region, although the total...
, Lille, Strasbourg
Gare de Strasbourg
Gare de Strasbourg is a rail station in the commune of Strasbourg, in Bas-Rhin, France. It is the eastern terminus of the Paris–Strasbourg railway.- Services :The station is the main station in Strasbourg and one of the main stations in the east of France....
, Dijon
Dijon
Dijon is a city in eastern France, the capital of the Côte-d'Or département and of the Burgundy region.Dijon is the historical capital of the region of Burgundy. Population : 151,576 within the city limits; 250,516 for the greater Dijon area....
, Lyon
Gare de Lyon-Part-Dieu
Gare de la Part-Dieu is the primary railway station in Lyon, France. It is situated on the Lyon–Geneva railway.This zone is served by the metro line and -History:...
, Marseille
Gare de Marseille Saint-Charles
Marseille Saint-Charles is the main railway station of Marseille. It is the southern terminus of the Paris–Marseille railway. It opened on 8 January 1848, having been built for the PLM on the land of the Saint Charles Cemetery...
, Montpellier
Gare de Montpellier Saint-Roch
Saint-Roch is the main railway station in Montpellier, France. The station was formerly known as Gare de Montpellier, but since March 2005 it bears the name of Saint Roch, a native of the city, who was born in the 14th century...
, Toulouse
Gare de Toulouse Matabiau
Toulouse-Matabiau is the main railway station in Toulouse, southern France. It is located in the city centre and connected to the Toulouse Metro. The station is situated on the Bordeaux–Sète railway, Toulouse–Bayonne railway, Brive-Toulouse railway and Toulouse-Auch railway...
, Bordeaux
Gare de Bordeaux Saint-Jean
Bordeaux-Saint-Jean or Bordeaux-Midi is the main railway station in the French city of Bordeaux. It is the southern terminus of the Paris–Bordeaux railway, and the western terminus of the Chemin de Fer du Midi main line to Toulouse. The current station building opened in 1898. As well as Midi...
, Nantes
Gare de Nantes
The Gare de Nantes is the principal passenger railway station serving the French city of Nantes. It is a through station aligned east-west, with entrances and station facilities on both north and south sides...
, Poitiers
Gare de Poitiers
The Gare de Poitiers is a major railway station in the French city of Poitiers, in the department of Vienne and region of Poitou-Charentes. The station is situated on the Paris–Bordeaux railway.-Services:...
, Rennes
Gare de Rennes
Rennes railway station is situated in the town centre of Rennes, France. It is situated on the Paris–Brest, Rennes–Saint-Malo and the Rennes–Redon railways....
, as well as services to Brussels in Belgium.
Bus
Roissybus, operated by the RATP, departs from terminals 1 and 2 and goes non-stop to Paris, terminating behind the Palais GarnierPalais Garnier
The Palais Garnier, , is an elegant 1,979-seat opera house, which was built from 1861 to 1875 for the Paris Opera. It was originally called the Salle des Capucines because of its location on the Boulevard des Capucines in the 9th arrondissement of Paris, but soon became known as the Palais Garnier...
(10 € in 2011).
There is a bus and coach station in Roissypôle, next to the RER B station. Buses departing from this station include RATP lines 350 and 351 going to Paris and the bus going to the Parc Astérix
Parc Astérix
Parc Astérix is a theme amusement park in France, based on the stories of Asterix . Situated approximately north of Paris and from Disneyland Resort Paris, in Plailly in the département of Oise, it opened in 1989...
.
Air France
Air France
Air France , stylised as AIRFRANCE, is the French flag carrier headquartered in Tremblay-en-France, , and is one of the world's largest airlines. It is a subsidiary of the Air France-KLM Group and a founding member of the SkyTeam global airline alliance...
operates "Les Cars Air France" to several destinations: Place de l'Etoile
Place de l'Étoile
The Place Charles de Gaulle, , historically known as the Place de l'Étoile , is a large road junction in Paris, France, the meeting point of twelve straight avenues including the Champs-Élysées which continues to the east. It was renamed in 1970 following the death of General and President Charles...
(15 € in 2011), Porte Maillot
Porte Maillot (Paris Metro)
Porte Maillot is a station on Paris Métro Line 1 and on the RER C. The station replaces another station of the same name, the original terminus of Line 1, which was demolished and moved in 1936....
, Gare Montparnasse
Gare Montparnasse
Paris Montparnasse is one of the six large terminus railway stations of Paris, located in the Montparnasse area in the XIVe arrondissement. The station was opened in 1840, and rebuilt completely in 1969...
, Gare de Lyon
Paris-Gare de Lyon
Paris Lyon is one of the six large railway termini in Paris, France. It is the northern terminus of the Paris–Marseille railway. It is named after the city of Lyon, a stop for many long-distance trains departing here, most en route to the south of France. In general the station's SNCF services run...
, or Paris-Orly.
After the last RER B of 23:56, the Noctilien night bus N143 and N140 departs every half hour and hour respectively from terminal 1 door D12, terminal 2F door 2 and Roissypôle at Aéroport Charles de Gaulle 1
Aéroport Charles de Gaulle 1 (Paris RER)
Aéroport Charles de Gaulle 1 is one of two railway stations at Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport, France.-The station:The station opened in 30 May 1976 and is located on the Roissy railway line. The station is served by RER Line B services operated by SNCF...
(4 Paris ticket "t" in 2011).
Car
Charles de Gaulle Airport is directly connected to Autoroute A1 which connects Paris and Lille.Alternative airports
The two other airports serving Paris are Orly Airport (the most important after CDG) and Le Bourget AirportLe Bourget Airport
Paris – Le Bourget Airport is an airport located in Le Bourget, Bonneuil-en-France, and Dugny, north-northeast of Paris, France. It is now used only for general aviation as well as air shows...
(for general aviation
General aviation
General aviation is one of the two categories of civil aviation. It refers to all flights other than military and scheduled airline and regular cargo flights, both private and commercial. General aviation flights range from gliders and powered parachutes to large, non-scheduled cargo jet flights...
and private jets
Business jet
Business jet, private jet or, colloquially, bizjet is a term describing a jet aircraft, usually of smaller size, designed for transporting groups of up to 19 business people or wealthy individuals...
). Some low-cost airlines
Low-cost carrier
A low-cost carrier or low-cost airline is an airline that generally has lower fares and fewer comforts...
also advertise Beauvais-Tillé Airport as serving Paris, using the name Paris-Beauvais to designate it.
Accidents and incidents
- On 1 June 2009, an A330-200, Air France Flight 447Air France Flight 447Air France Flight 447 was a scheduled airline flight from Rio de Janeiro-Galeão to Paris-Roissy involving an Airbus A330-200 aircraft that crashed into the Atlantic Ocean on 1 June 2009, killing all 216 passengers and 12 aircrew. The investigation is still ongoing, and the cause of the...
, departed Rio de Janeiro-Galeão for Charles de Gaulle. The plane's computers transmitted messages stating that it had experienced various failures. Wreckage of the aircraft was found 370 miles off the coast of Brazil on 2 June 2009; all 228 people on board were presumed dead. - On 2 August 2005, an A340-300, Air France Flight 358Air France Flight 358Air France Flight 358, a flight from Paris, France, to Toronto, Canada, using an Airbus A340 airliner, departed Paris without incident at 11:53 UTC 2 August 2005, later touching down on runway 24L-06R at Toronto Pearson International Airport at 20:01 UTC...
from Charles de Gaulle to Toronto Pearson International AirportToronto Pearson International AirportToronto Pearson International Airport is an international airport serving Toronto, Ontario, Canada; its metropolitan area; and the Golden Horseshoe, an urban agglomeration that is home to 8.1 million people – approximately 25% of Canada's population...
, made a successful landing during a thunderstorm but overran the runway crashing in a gully; all 309 passengers including crew members survived the crash. - On 3 January 2004: Flash Airlines Flight 604Flash Airlines flight 604Flash Airlines Flight 604 was a charter flight operated by Egyptian charter company Flash Airlines. On 3 January 2004, the Boeing 737-300 crashed into the Red Sea shortly after takeoff from Sharm el-Sheikh International Airport, killing all 142 passengers, many of them French tourists, and all six...
, bound for CDG, crashed into the Red SeaRed SeaThe Red Sea is a seawater inlet of the Indian Ocean, lying between Africa and Asia. The connection to the ocean is in the south through the Bab el Mandeb strait and the Gulf of Aden. In the north, there is the Sinai Peninsula, the Gulf of Aqaba, and the Gulf of Suez...
. - On 25 July 2000, a ConcordeConcordeAérospatiale-BAC Concorde was a turbojet-powered supersonic passenger airliner, a supersonic transport . It was a product of an Anglo-French government treaty, combining the manufacturing efforts of Aérospatiale and the British Aircraft Corporation...
, Air France Flight 4590Air France Flight 4590Air France Flight 4590 was a Concorde flight operated by Air France which was scheduled to run from Charles de Gaulle International Airport near Paris, to John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City. On 2000, it crashed in Gonesse, France. All one hundred passengers and nine crew...
from Charles de Gaulle to John F. Kennedy International AirportJohn F. Kennedy International AirportJohn F. Kennedy International Airport is an international airport located in the borough of Queens in New York City, about southeast of Lower Manhattan. It is the busiest international air passenger gateway to the United States, handling more international traffic than any other airport in North...
in New York, crashed into Les Relais Bleus Hotel in GonesseGonesseGonesse is a commune in the northeastern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the centre of Paris.The commune lies immediately north of Le Bourget Airport and southwest of Charles de Gaulle International Airport.-History:...
, killing everyone on the aircraft and four people on the ground. Investigations concluded that a tyre burst on take-off due to metal left on the runway from a previously departing aircraft. Concorde was conducting a charter flight for a German tour company. - On 25 May 2000, a freight-carrying Short SH36 (operated as Streamline flight 200), departing to Luton, England, collided on the runway with departing Air LiberteAir LibertéAir Liberté was an airline in France founded in July 1987. Air Liberté was headquartered in Rungis. Airlib was headquartered in Orly Airport Building 363 in Paray-Vieille-Poste....
flight 8807, an MD-83 jet. The first officer of the SH36 was killed when the wing tip of the MD-83 tore through his side of the flight deck. The captain was slightly injured and all others aboard survived. - On 17 July 1996, TWA Flight 800TWA Flight 800Trans World Airlines Flight 800 , a Boeing 747-131, exploded and crashed into the Atlantic Ocean near East Moriches, New York, on July 17, 1996, at about 20:31 EDT, 12 minutes after takeoff, killing all 230 persons on board. At the time, it was the second-deadliest U.S...
, bound for CDG from JFK International Airport in New York City, exploded off the coast of Long IslandLong IslandLong Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
12 minutes after takeoff, killing all 230 passengers and crew on board. - On 19 September 1989, UTA Flight 772UTA Flight 772UTA Flight 772 of the French airline Union des Transports Aériens was a scheduled flight operating from Brazzaville in the Republic of Congo, via N'Djamena in Chad, to Paris CDG airport in France....
bound for CDG from Brazzaville-N'Djamena, crashed when a bomb placed inside luggage exploded. - On 27 November 1983 Avianca Flight 011Avianca Flight 011Avianca Flight 011, registration HK-2910 , was a Boeing 747-283B on an international scheduled passenger flight from Frankfurt via Paris, Madrid, and Caracas to Bogotá....
, bound from CDG to Bogotá via Madrid, crashed near Madrid.
Mehran Karimi Nasseri
On 26 August 1988, Mehran Karimi Nasseri found himself held at Charles de Gaulle airport by immigration. He claimed he was a refugee, but had had his refugee papers stolen. After years of bureaucratic wrangling, it was concluded that Nasseri had entered the airport legally and could not be expelled from its walls, but since he had no papers, there was no country to deport him to, leaving him in residential limbo. Nasseri continued to live within the confines of the airport until 2006, even though French authorities had since made it possible for him to leave if he so wished. Nasseri was the possible inspiration for the 2004 film The TerminalThe Terminal
The Terminal is a 2004 American comedy-drama film directed by Steven Spielberg and starring Tom Hanks and Catherine Zeta-Jones. It is about a man trapped in a terminal at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport when he is denied entry into the United States and at the same time cannot...
. In July 2006 he was hospitalised and later taken care of by charities; he did not return to the airport.
In popular culture
- The video of the U2U2U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
song "Beautiful DayBeautiful Day"Beautiful Day" is a song by the rock band U2. It is the first track from their 2000 album, All That You Can't Leave Behind, and it was released as the album's lead single. It was a commercial success, helping launch the album to multi-platinum status, and is one of U2's biggest hits to date...
" is entirely set at the airport, featuring some of the dramatic architecture. The band also plays on the runway with, apparently, jumbo jets taking off and landing just above. Both Air France and MEA make a cameoCameo appearanceA cameo role or cameo appearance is a brief appearance of a known person in a work of the performing arts, such as plays, films, video games and television...
in the video. The cover photo for their album All That You Can't Leave BehindAll That You Can't Leave BehindAll That You Can't Leave Behind is the tenth studio album by rock band U2. It was released on 30 October 2000 by Island Records in the United Kingdom and Interscope Records in the United States...
was also taken at the airport. - The airport tarmacTarmacTarmac is a type of road surface. Tarmac refers to a material patented by Edgar Purnell Hooley in 1901...
was used in the Disneyland Resort ParisDisneyland Resort ParisDisneyland Paris is a holiday and recreation resort in Marne-la-Vallée, a new town in the eastern suburbs of Paris, France. The complex is located from the centre of Paris and lies for the most part within the commune of Chessy, Seine-et-Marne....
attraction film The TimekeeperThe TimekeeperThe Timekeeper was a 1992 Circle-Vision 360° film that was presented at three Disney parks around the world. It was the first Circle-Vision show that was arranged and filmed with an actual plot and not just visions of landscapes, and the first to utilize Audio-Animatronics...
(Le Visionarium), featuring an Air France ConcordeConcordeAérospatiale-BAC Concorde was a turbojet-powered supersonic passenger airliner, a supersonic transport . It was a product of an Anglo-French government treaty, combining the manufacturing efforts of Aérospatiale and the British Aircraft Corporation...
and a Union des Transports Aériens McDonnell Douglas DC-10McDonnell Douglas DC-10The McDonnell Douglas DC-10 is a three-engine widebody jet airliner manufactured by McDonnell Douglas. The DC-10 has range for medium- to long-haul flights, capable of carrying a maximum 380 passengers. Its most distinguishing feature is the two turbofan engines mounted on underwing pylons and a...
. - Many scenes were filmed at the airport for the film The Concorde ... Airport '79.
- The distinctive escalator tubes of Terminal 1 are featured in the films Private BenjaminPrivate BenjaminPrivate Benjamin is a 1980 American comedy film starring Goldie Hawn. The film was one of the biggest box office hits of 1980, and also spawned a short-lived television series. The film is ranked 82 on the American Film Institute's "100 Funniest Movies" poll, and 59 on Bravo's "100 Funniest...
and French Kiss and are used as the backdrop of the album cover for I RobotI Robot (album)I Robot is a progressive rock album recorded by The Alan Parsons Project, engineered by Alan Parsons and Eric Woolfson in 1977. It was released by Arista Records in 1977 and re-released on CD in 1984 and 2007. It was intended to be based on the I, Robot stories written by Isaac Asimov, and Woolfson...
by The Alan Parsons ProjectThe Alan Parsons ProjectThe Alan Parsons Project was a British progressive rock band, active between 1975 and 1990, consisting of singer Eric Woolfson and keyboardist Alan Parsons surrounded by a varying number of session musicians....
. - The check-in area of Terminal 2F is a favourite film location for French directors and can frequently be seen in French films that require an airport location.
- The film Décalage HoraireJet Lag (film)Jet Lag is a 2002 film starring Juliette Binoche and Jean Reno. It is the second film directed by Danièle Thompson, after the 1999 release La Bûche.-Plot:...
(Jet Lag) is set primarily at the airport and a nearby hotel. - The movie FranticFrantic (film)Frantic is a 1988 thriller film directed by Roman Polanski and starring Harrison Ford and Emmanuelle Seigner.- Synopsis :Harrison Ford plays Dr. Richard Walker, a surgeon visiting Paris with his wife Sondra for a medical conference. At their hotel, she is unable to unlock her suitcase, and Walker...
features a scene in terminal one when Harrison FordHarrison FordHarrison Ford is an American film actor and producer. He is famous for his performances as Han Solo in the original Star Wars trilogy and as the title character of the Indiana Jones film series. Ford is also known for his roles as Rick Deckard in Blade Runner, John Book in Witness and Jack Ryan in...
and Emmanuelle SeignerEmmanuelle SeignerEmmanuelle Seigner is a French actress, former fashion model, and singer, best known as the wife of Academy Award winning director Roman Polanski, and for her roles in The Diving Bell and the Butterfly , and Frantic...
pick up lost baggage. - The movie Rush Hour 3Rush Hour 3Rush Hour 3 is a 2007 martial arts/action-comedy film, and the third installment in the Rush Hour film series, starring Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker, that began with the 1998 film Rush Hour and continued with the first sequel Rush Hour 2 in 2001. The film was officially announced on May 7, 2006,...
features Jackie ChanJackie ChanJackie Chan, SBS, MBE is a Hong Kong actor, action choreographer, comedian, director, producer, martial artist, screenwriter, entrepreneur, singer and stunt performer. In his movies, he is known for his acrobatic fighting style, comic timing, use of improvised weapons, and innovative stunts...
and Chris TuckerChris TuckerChristopher "Chris" Tucker is an American actor and comedian. He is best known for playing the role of Detective James Carter in the Rush Hour film series.-Early life:...
arriving at Terminal 2F
Photography restrictions
On 7 November 2005, prefectoral decision 05-4979 was issued, relating specifically to Charles de Gaulle airport. The article 32-5 prohibits photographs being taken for private use of anything moving (e.g. aircraft) or not moving (e.g. buildings) within the "zone reservée" (the restricted area) from the "zone publique" (the public area).Animals
The grassy lands on which the airport is located are notorious for rabbitRabbit
Rabbits are small mammals in the family Leporidae of the order Lagomorpha, found in several parts of the world...
s and hare
Hare
Hares and jackrabbits are leporids belonging to the genus Lepus. Hares less than one year old are called leverets. Four species commonly known as types of hare are classified outside of Lepus: the hispid hare , and three species known as red rock hares .Hares are very fast-moving...
s, which can be seen by passengers at certain times of the day. The airport organises periodic hunts and captures to keep the population to manageable levels.
See also
- Transportation in France
- List of airports in France
External links
General- Aéroports de Paris (official website)
- Aéroport de Paris Charles de Gaulle (Union des Aéroports Français)
Collapse of Terminal 2E