VINCI Airports celebrates the 15th anniversary of the easyJet base at Lyon airport

VINCI Airports, world's leading private airport operator and one of easyJet's main partners, has celebrated the 15th anniversary of the Lyon base of easyJet, Europe's number one airline in terms of network and the leading airline¹ at Lyon-Saint Exupéry airport.

In 2008, when the airline had already been operating flights from Lyon for several years, a base was set up with two Airbus aircraft, leading to the creation of local jobs under French employment contracts, and a bespoke offer tailored to local demand in terms of destinations and schedules. In the past 15 years, easyjet has quadrupled the number of seats available from Lyon. It has increased the number of Airbus aircraft at the base to six and carried 2.5 million passengers to and from Lyon in 2023, almost back to pre-Covid levels. The airline currently offers just under 50 routes from Lyon, including 10 domestic routes supplementing rail services.

As a leading winter sports destination, Lyon occupies an important place in the easyJet network. The company is the leading carrier between the UK and France, with the British making up the largest foreign skiing community in France. To satisfy this seasonal demand, easyJet's ski capacity in Lyon has increased by 38% this winter compared with the previous season, offering over 200,000 seats between December and March.

VINCI Airports' dynamic investment in strengthening Lyon's connectivity with easyJet makes it a key player in tourism and the local economy.

Across its international network, VINCI Airports works with more than 250 airlines to develop regional connectivity and optimize every link in the airport chain. To enable each airport in its network to express its full potential, VINCI Airports works with its partners to develop its commercial offer and services, optimize passenger flows, stimulate innovation and constantly enhance the passenger experience.

easyet is a key partner for our VINCI Airports network, especially at our airports in France, the United Kingdom and Portugal. The 15-year anniversary of the base at Lyon-Saint Exupéry airport and its growth underscore the excellent relations we have built with easyjet teams, offering them first-rate operating conditions to satisfy the growing needs of Lyon and its region in terms of connectivity. We share easyJet’s ambition of decarbonising the air transport sector, and we work actively towards achieving that goal in Lyon. This year, the airport plans to build solar power plants covering 19 hectares (47 acres), producing green energy to supply the airport and its region.”

Nicolas Notebaert, CEO of VINCI Concessions & President of VINCI Airports

“Over the past 15 years with our fantastic local team we have built a solid leading position at Lyon airport and in partnership with VINCI Airports. Lyon is a strategic part of our network for leisure, business and also for skiing. easyJet flies to all the primary airports of the Alps where Lyon plays a key role as our #1 ski destination in France. We have continued to invest in France, strengthening and creating routes for the benefit of connectivity and, ultimately, the local economies of the French regions.  As we look to the future of aviation, and as a leading airline, we also have a responsibility to focus on reducing our carbon emissions, and our ambition is to achieve zero net carbon emissions by 2050."

Johan Lundgren, CEO easyJet

"This anniversary is an acknowledgement of the hard work our teams put in day after day to offer our customers a top-quality service. As an employer, we are so proud to have created - and maintained throughout the Covid years - over 300 locally based direct jobs under French employment contracts. Our crews are delighted to fly our Lyon-based customers and give them the chance to discover our new destinations, including Athens, this summer. Lyon is a perfect illustration of our strategy in France: boosting France’s region-to-region connectivity as well as international routes, at affordable prices with a comprehensive offer targeting leisure as well as business.”

Bertrand Godinot, Director of easyJet France

¹ #1 on the short- and medium-haul segment, for a single brand and in terms of market share.

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