5 reasons why Paris Le Bourget is Europe’s busiest airport
For the past few years, Paris Le Bourget has consistently sat in the top spot of the most popular private jet airports in Europe. And 2014 was no exception. See the Top 20 Private Jet Airports In Europe 2014.
That’s no surprise to us at PrivateFly. Paris Le Bourget is an airport that our Flight Team arrange many flights to or from, ever week of the year. Last year the airport saw more than 51,000 flight movements in total (a movement means a take-off or landing).
But what is it that makes Paris Le Bourget so popular with private jet users? Here are some of the reasons why:
1) It’s the only major private jet airport in Paris
While there is a wide choice of private jet airports in London, this is not the case in Paris. Paris has several airports serving airline flights, but they do not all offer a good option for the private jet customer. Paris Le Bourget is the clear choice here – a dedicated private jet airport, which only handles business aviation flights.
There are a couple of smaller private jet airport options in the Paris area, Toussus-Le-Noble and Cergy Pontoise. However, they are not as central and do not offer the same range of services as Paris Le Bourget.
As for Charles de Gaulle – Paris’ biggest airport for airline flights – it is not an efficient choice for private aviation, as it is such a busy international hub, used by airliners and cargo flights.
2) It has the largest number of FBOs (private jet terminals) in the world
As Paris Le Bourget is one of the few airports accessible by private aircraft, in a city as large and active as Paris, it has an impressively large and well-organised infrastructure.
This includes the largest number of FBOs (private jet terminals) of any airport in the world. 8 FBOs and 15 service companies – such as fuel and catering services – are based in the airport. Find out more about the FBOs at Paris Le Bourget.
This number of FBOs helps ensure availability, flexibility and choice to the large numbers of business and leisure travellers moving in and out of Paris by private jet – from all over the world.
3) Its location, near the centre of Paris
It takes 20-30 minutes to reach key destinations such as Defence or the Champs Elysees from Paris Le Bourget. So the airport is very well-situated to allow quick ground transfers to the city centre for business or leisure. Or for those looking for an even faster connection, there are excellent helicopter charter services available at the airport.
It is also situated right next door to Charles de Gaulle and therefore can quickly and easily serve clients combining airline and private jet flights. This makes it a popular arrival choice for those travelling to Europe from the US and other continents, who travel the longer distance on a long haul airline flight, but transfer to private aviation for their travel within Europe.
4) A central position in Europe and in France
Paris is geographically situated in the centre of Europe, so it provides the most convenient location and base for those looking to travel around Europe – on business or leisure.
So the Top 10 private jet routes from Paris Le Bourget are all pan-European hops, including Geneva, Milan and London.
The second most popular route from Le Bourget is to Nice Cote D’Azur. In a country like France where centralisation is very pronounced, Paris Le Bourget plays a major role in linking the capital to other major French business centres or luxury travel hotspots, such as Nice, Cannes, Chambery, Bordeaux and Lyon.
5) Paris – economic & tourist capital of Europe
Le Bourget’s popularity is also a reflection of the attractions of Paris itself.
For leisure travellers, Paris is an iconic destination, one of the 3 most visited cities in the world. Monuments, museums, fine dining, the capital offers everything to attract tourists, whatever their profile or interests.
But Paris is also a major economic player in France, Europe and the world – attracting business leaders to summits, conferences and to major corporate and financial institutions. The Paris region is also one of the wealthiest in the world, specialising particularly in the luxury industry, fashion and gastronomy.
Find out more? See more facts about Paris Le Bourget in 20 Facts About Europe’s Busiest Private Jet Airport.
For a personalised quote to fly to or from Paris Le Bourget (or any global airport), use our online flight search or contact our team (24 hours) on +44 1747 642 777.
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