Financial report damns airports

Regional airports are falling deeper into debt while Paris ones are failing to improve facilities despite profits, according to a report by the financial auditing body the Cour des Comptes.

A total of 154 local airports are only functioning courtesy of subsidies from local authorities and 12 larger regional airports, which remain under state control, are barely breaking even, according to the report.

The audit said many local airports were at the mercy of low-cost airlines with deals being done that weighed heavily against them.

France’s airports are not very rationally spread out across the country, according to the report.

Paris' three airports are failing to improve services to travelers, who often get stuck in long queues and pay high prices at duty-free shops.

The managing company of Charles de Gaulle international airport, Orly and Le Bourget was criticised in the report for increasing airport tax without in turn offering better services to passengers.

"The quality of services remains insufficient at Paris airports despite some improvements," said the report.

Travellers struggle to find their way in the terminals, little information is given to them and waiting queues are poorly managed, it said.

Passport controls at the airports are poorly managed during peak times as are bus transfers to planes, added the report.

Aeroports de Paris (ADP), which manages the three airports, was partly privatized in 2006, but the state remains the majority shareholder.

The company plans to pour €2.7 billion into airport modernisation until 2010 and increase its capacity to accommodate an additional 20 million travellers.

The Cour des Comptes recommended that ADP keep closer watch over its sub-contractors who operate at the airports.

ADP declined to comment on the report.