As the United States ‘borders reopen, airlines’ interest in flights from Nice and North America means more than the good news of yet another opportunity to join Big Apple nonstop.
In mid-October, United’s announcement of a link to New York Newark from Nice thus completes the already existing lines, particularly those operated by Delta Airlines and La Compagnie.
« We are working on the resumption of activity. United had already expressed their intention to open a link from Nice “, Indicates Franck Goldnadel, the president of the management board of the Airports of the Côte d’Azur who also sees in it a capacity of the companies to listen to the expressed requests, even though they often have” been pilloried because they were not considered agile enough. On the contrary, they prove their ability to be more efficient, more responsive, attentive to market needs. ».
The importance of economic efficiency
And one of the needs is to be able to reach the North American continent as quickly and efficiently as possible, thus dispensing with stopovers and the obligation to use hubs. And this, the president of the management board of the Airports of the Côte d’Azur, which manages the Nice Côte d’Azur platform as well as that of Cannes-Mandelieu and Saint-Tropez, explains it by another key point in transport: more economically efficient planes. ” This makes it possible to connect Nice to the major world capitals, without going through major hubs. The emergence of more efficient aircraft offers the possibility where it was thought necessary to supply large sections, install direct lines. And the environmental transition also helps to allow these direct connections », Adds Franck Goldnadel. With more efficient planes, the desire to also use more “short circuit” lines in a way is made possible. This does not mean the end of hubs, however. ” There will always be a need to go through hubs, we cannot connect just any city with another », Clearly indicates the chairman of the management board of Aéroports de la Côte d’Azur.
Clearly, the crisis has called into question major principles, in air transport as elsewhere. But it is technological progress that also offers the possibility of responding to changes in behavior or consumption.
« Five or ten years ago we didn’t have the efficient planes to do it. It was then difficult to make a direct line profitable », Explains the chairman of the management board.
Convergent interests
With soon five companies that will operate from Nice Côte d’Azur for North America, there is great potential between the two destinations and more widely between the two territories that is being consolidated. Potential both in the leisure tourism segment and also in the BtoB segment. This is also what Franck Goldnadel calls ” cross interests ». « Americans naturally want to visit the territories they know “. And we know that the Côte d’Azur, seen from the United States or Canada, is a privileged destination. ” For Americans, the Côte d’Azur is like Paris, they know how to position Cannes or Nice perfectly on a map. », Confirms Franck Goldnadel.
But in addition to the leisure tourism aspect, there is the foreign investment aspect. Companies, in particular from the tech sector, such as Symphony or PostProcess Technology, have opted for an establishment in the territory, European headquarters or R&D center. There is therefore, even from a BtoB point of view, an appetite between North America and the Côte d’Azur. ” There is certainly what opening up to the North American continent offers in terms of business and leisure tourism, but at the same time, we must open up international destinations for businesses in the territory. », Analyzes Franck Goldnadel, who does not hide the work and the reflection carried out with the economic actors to open destinations which go well with the inclinations of export or prospection for the SMEs and ETI of the French Riviera.
The reinforcement towards the American continent is obviously good news for the airport platform itself and, its size, its positioning are favorable to it. ” We are working to emerge from the crisis stronger and faster. As many large airports, which are hubs, can take longer to exit, as our size (Aéroports de la Côte d’Azur is still the second French airport, NDLR) allows us to find better traffic “. As a reminder, the United States represented 400,000 passengers per year, constituting the third foreign market of the Côte d’Azur, Canada representing for its part, 100,000 passengers each year.
