President of the Tarn Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Michel Bossi sounds the tocsin this Thursday, May 25 on the future of the Castres-Paris airline, whose fate is currently being played out.
40,000 passengers per year
«In my capacity as a representative of Tarn companies, in this period of strong turbulence, I wanted to recall the absolute necessity of Castres-Mazamet airport for our economy.,” underlines the Albigensian business leader, for whom the airport created in 1990 and managed until now by the CCI has made it possible to stem the erosion of jobs in the South Tarn basin: “ It is clear that its role as a tool in the service of regional planning has been perfectly fulfilled for 33 years. The airport has allowed more than 40,000 passengers each year to reach the capital or go anywhere in the world via Paris. 65% of passengers are business women and men. Despite the health crisis, in just a few months, the airport has been able to regain activity identical to that of 2019 ».
Useful for the 8th RPIMa
According to Michel Bossi, the Castres-Paris link, which benefits from the status of regional planning line, is the one that carried the greatest number of passengers compared to similar lines such as Brive-Rodez or Aurillac. And to point out that its twelve main users “ alone represent more than 4,500 employees. The airport’s catchment area has greatly expanded in 30 years, 15% of customers come from the north of the department. Beyond the transport of passengers on the line, it should not be forgotten that the line generates turnover for the airport which allows it to perpetuate the services of other users as one of the main employers of Castres. , the 8th RPIMa.»
20 million grant
If the airline Chalair has won the tender to resume operation of the line for the next four years, from June 1, the future operator is asking the public authorities for a balancing subsidy of 20 million euros (up 4 million) to compensate for the forecast operating loss.
bras-de-fer
however, a showdown started several months ago continues a few days before the deadline between the State and the local authorities (regional council, departmental council and community of agglomeration of Castres-Mazamet). The latter refuse to increase their financial contribution and demand that the State reassess its own subsidy upwards.
The service offered by the Chalair company would be degraded compared to that provided by Air France, with two daily rotations instead of three and a lower capacity ATR aircraft.
#airport #absolute #necessity
