The future of smaller French airports is being called into question as their vulnerability to the whims of low-cost airlines becomes more evident.
At the same time, passenger demand has surged, with some newly opened inter-city routes reporting strong load factors.
In January, Ryanair announced it will stop all services to and from Clermont-Ferrand Airport, including connections to Porto (Portugal), London Stansted and Fez (Morocco).
This follows similar cuts last winter at Bergerac, Brive and Strasbourg, although the airline has since confirmed it will return to Bergerac and Brive for the summer season.
Ryanair said the cuts were driven by increased French airport taxes introduced in February 2025.
However, industry figures suggest that rising costs across the aviation sector are also playing a major role in route cuts and price increases.
Rising kerosene prices
The Middle East crisis has pushed kerosene prices to around $1,900 per tonne, compared to roughly $750 previously, meaning fuel now accounts for around 45% of airlines’ operating costs, up from 25%, according to Pascal de Izaguirre, head of the Fédération nationale de l’aviation et de ses métiers (FNAM).
Faced with these pressures, airlines are being forced to increase ticket prices or reduce less profitable routes - a dynamic that can disproportionately affect smaller regional airports.
Air France has already introduced successive fare increases, including surcharges of up to €100 on long-haul return tickets over two months, while short- and medium-haul fares have also risen. Its low-cost subsidiary Transavia has implemented similar measures, reflecting a wider international trend.
Large and small airports
France has 11 airports classified as Category A, meaning they can accommodate the largest aircraft. However, one of them, a former US Air Force base at Châteauroux (Indre), is dedicated to air freight and pilot training, while another at Châlons-Vatry (Marne) is primarily used for freight and occasional military operations.
Another dozen are Category B airports, suitable for slightly smaller aircraft, and around 70 are Category C, with runways long and wide enough for aircraft such as a Boeing 737 or Airbus A320.
It is these Category C airports that could be most at risk if airlines continue to cut marginal routes in response to rising costs.
'Confident of future'
Thomas Juin, director of La Rochelle Airport and president of the Union des Aéroports Français, said he remained confident about the future of airports that retain passenger services.
“Demand for air travel has never been so strong: we had 300,000 passengers in La Rochelle in 2025, which is a record number,” he said.
“At the same time, opportunities for air travel have expanded with low-cost carriers using larger aircraft. This means that links between towns which would have been unimaginable four or five years ago are now reality.”
He cited flights between La Rochelle and Marseille, which recorded load factors of at least 80% in both summer and winter, with 50,000 passengers using the service last year.
“The main reason for the route’s popularity is that to cover the distance by car or by train takes eight hours, while flying takes a little over one hour,” he said.
“People from around La Rochelle go south either for business or on holiday, and it is the same for passengers from Marseille, who come to La Rochelle for business or simply to experience the Atlantic coast.”
Rising prices
Despite this strong demand, rising ticket prices risk limiting further growth and could weigh on the viability of less profitable routes.
Airports without passenger services, meanwhile, are increasingly turning to alternative sources of income.
Poitiers is now used for organ donation flights, while Angoulême has become a training centre for the Airbus Flight Academy and helicopter schools.
Toulouse’s second airport, Toulouse Francazal, has repurposed part of its site for a factory producing small aircraft.
Rochefort Airport in Charente-Maritime is installing solar power stations, which can operate without interfering with aviation activity.
Others have developed facilities for private aviation, while new opportunities are emerging in drone operations, both civil and military.
Call to cut tax on small airports
Mr Juin called on the government to reduce the tax burden on smaller airports, which he said is proportionately higher than for larger hubs.
However, he believes there remains political will to preserve France’s extensive airport network.
“It is thanks to our aviation history, both civil and military, and we are lucky to have it,” he said.
“Very few airports have ever been lost because politicians see their value. I am confident that ways will be found to keep them active.”
