The order relating to the temporary suspension of operation of Orly airport from Tuesday was officially signed this Sunday by the Secretary of State for Transport, Jean-Baptiste Djebbari, and published in the Official Journal.
As part of the state of health emergency relating to the Covid-19 epidemic, “Aéroports de Paris is thus authorized to temporarily suspend the commercial operation of Paris-Orly airport as of March 31, 2020 at from 11:30 pm, “said a press release from the Ministry of Ecological and Inclusive Transition.
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During this period, Paris-Orly airport will remain permanently accessible to state aircraft and to medical emergency or medical evacuation flights. ”
“This provision also applies to any passenger or freight transport flight necessary to manage the health crisis,” added the press release.
Traffic collapse
No date has been given for the reopening of the airport. The four companies (out of more than a hundred previously) which currently continue to operate flights from Orly will transfer their activities to Paris-Charles-de-Gaulle, the airport north of the capital, from April 1. No date has been given for the reopening of Orly Airport.
Possible nationalization of Air France-KLM
Asked about Radio J on Sunday, the Secretary of State for Transport confirmed that other airports would be closed to commercial traffic, notably that of Nantes. “But we will need all French airports, especially regional airports, in particular to carry out medical evacuation and freight operations,” said Jean-Baptiste Djebbari.
He also did not rule out the possibility of nationalizing the airline company Air France-KLM, in which the state is a 14% shareholder, once the coronavirus crisis has passed. “This is one hypothesis among others that we do not rule out. In times of crisis, we must have all the means, all the tools of public intervention, including this one. We do not do not rule out a priori, “said Jean-Baptiste Djebbari. On March 17, Prime Minister Édouard Philippe had not already ruled out nationalizations to deal with the coronavirus crisis, assuring that for Air France the state was ready to “take on its responsibilities as a shareholder”.
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