Following the temporary closure of a number of significant French airports (Paris Orly Airport, Montpellier-Méditerranée and Nantes-Atlantique) as a result of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic;

John Vandesquille, Research Analyst at GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company, offers his view:

“These closures will prove very costly for the companies managing them and resuming activities at the end of the crisis will certainly be a challenge. However, it will be even worse for smaller French regional airports, some of them having already suffered from the collapse of the airline Flybe at the beginning of the month.

“As these airports mainly operate from April to October, being forced to close their doors during this period due to a lack of passengers has put them in lasting financial difficulties and might spell the end for a number of them. This would be particularly terrible as they often play an important role in the accessibility of some regions.

“Their closures, even only temporary, will have a significant impact on tourism and the overall economy of a number of French regions as they often offer the only viable long distance travel option.”