General overview
Paris Charles-De-Gaulle airport is the biggest airport in France and one of the busiest in Europe, and is located about 25km north of the French capital. Although it has become a major hub, its history is much shorter than other major european airports (such as London Heathrow, Frankfurt or Amsterdam). In the 1960s, to face the growth of global air traffic, it was decided to build a completely new airport in Paris, in addition to the already existing Orly and Le Bourget airports. The new airport opened in 1974 in the north of Paris, with Terminal 1 being the sole terminal with its distinctive round shape, still present today. In the morning of March 13th, 1974 a TWA Boeing 747 landed in Paris CDG, being the very first aircraft to land on the airport. Quickly, the need for extension was felt, and Terminal 2 opened in 1982, first with T2A and T2B for Air France. T2C and T2D were built a few years after, followed by Terminal 3 in 1991 destined to charter airlines. Later, T2E and T2F were built and are now used by Air France and Skyteam partners for its hub.
Nowadays, CDG has 3 Terminals, with T2 being composed of 10 satellites. Its 4 runways (2 north, 2 south) allow the airport to welcome many movements at the same time and sustain a growth not permitted in other airports such as London Heathrow which only has 2 runways. It covers 32 square kilometers, making it the widest airport in Europe and representing a third of the surface of Paris.
FedEx Express McDonnell Douglas MD-11F | N643FE
Emirates 'Dubai Expo 2020' Airbus A380-800 | A6-EEU
Qatar Airways Airbus A350-1000 | A7-ANH
Emirates 'Expo 2020' Airbus A380-800 | A6-EOT
China Southern Airbus A350-900 | B-30AL
Royal Saudi Air Force Lockheed C-130H Hercules | 1624
Gulf Air Airbus A320neo | A9C-TC
Ethiopian Airbus A350-900 | ET-AWO
Etihad Cargo Boeing 777F | A6-DDB
Silkway Airlines Ilyushin Il-76TD-90 | 4K-AZ101
Operations in Paris CDG
The diversity of airlines serving Charles-de-Gaulle make it one of the airports served by the greatest number of them, with more than 105 different airlines operating from/to the airport. Indeed, when coming to CDG you are always surprised by the impressive number of different liveries from all around the world: American, European, Asian, Middle Eastern or African major airlines all operate from the Parisian hub. In 2022, 57.5 Million passengers travelled through the airport, logically making it the biggest in France but also the second biggest in Europe, only beaten by London Heathrow (61.6M passengers). It was also the 7th biggest airport in the world that year.
The cargo traffic plays a huge part in Paris CDG's development. With more than 2 Million tonnes of freight handled in 2022, it is the busiest cargo airport in Europe and the eleventh in the world. Notably, the airport is the main European base of the American giant FedEx Express. The cargo transporter uses LFPG as its major hub for cargo merchandise travelling to/from Europe. With 300 aircraft movements every week, FedEx is responsible for a quarter of the cargo handled on the platform and still has ambitious plans for the future. Various other cargo airlines operate flights to the Parisian airport, which has a wide cargo area specialized in this kind of transportation.
MNG Airlines Airbus A300-600F | TC-MCG
China Eastern Airlines Airbus A330-200 | B-5931
FedEx Express Boeing 757-200F | N923FD
FedEx Express McDonnell Douglas MD-11F | N613FE
Korean Air Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner | HL-7206
Thai Airways Airbus A350-900 | HS-THJ
Korean Air Boeing 747-8I & Airbus A380-800 | HL7643 / HL7611
Air Bridge Cargo Boeing 747-8F | VQ-BLQ
TAM Linhas Aéreas Airbus A350-900 | PR-XTB
Air Baltic 'Latvia 100' Airbus A220-300 | YL-CSL
Emirates Airbus A380-800 | A6-EDF
Air Mauritius Airbus A350-900 | 3B-NBQ
Iran Air Airbus A330-200 | EP-IJA
Air Mauritius Airbus A340-300 | 3B-NBJ
Etihad Airbus A380-800 | A6-APC
Qeshm Air Airbus A300-600 | EP-FQK
Tunis Air Boeing 737-500 | TS-IOP
Asiana Airlines Airbus A350-900 | HL8361
Air Calin Airbus A330-900neo | F-ONET
Norwegian Air Shuttle Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner | LN-LNS
Qatar Cargo Boeing 747-8F | A7-BGA
Icelandair 'Aurora Borealis' Boeing 757-200 | TF-FIU
Turkish Airlines 'Retro livery' Airbus A330-200 | TC-JNC
Etihad Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner | A6-BMH
Swiss International Air Lines Airbus A220-100 | HB-JCA
Armée de l'Air Boeing E-3F Sentry AWACS | 31-CA
Paris CDG - The headquarters of Air France
Air France, the flag carrier airline of France, has its headquarters located at Roissypôle, in the heart of Paris CDG airport. The headquarters serves as the central administrative and corporate office for Air France, where various departments, including management, finance, marketing, and more, are located. It's also the place where key decisions regarding the airline's business operations are made. This location is an important hub for the airline's operations and plays a critical role in managing its global network of flights. Air France's hub at CDG serves as a significant transfer platform, allowing passengers to connect between various domestic, European, and intercontinental flights. The airport's layout and facilities are designed to facilitate smooth and efficient transfer experiences.
Air France conducts a significant portion of its aircraft maintenance activities at Charles de Gaulle through its subsidiary, Air France Industries KLM Engineering & Maintenance (AFI KLM E&M). The maintenance activities take place on the west part of CDG. Line maintenance, light checks and more heavy checks are performed in the historical or more recent hangars. Their remote position in the airport bring some complexity to the maintenance program, as the aircraft sometimes need to be towed for about 45min between a gate and a hangar. AF has a project to build a new hangar dedicated to line maintenance, close to Terminal 2E where the majority of the heavy aircraft operate. However, the project is said to be on standby.
Air France Airbus A220-300 Delivery Flight | F-HZUA
Air France Airbus A350-900 | F-HTYA
Air France Airbus A340-300 | F-GLZO
Air France Airbus A330-200 | F-GZCL
Air France JOON Airbus A340-300 | F-GZLO
Air France Airbus A350-900 | F-HTYG
Air France Airbus A380-800 | F-HPJJ
Air France Boeing 747-400 Last Commercial Flight | F-GITJ
Air France Airbus A380-800 Farewell Flight | F-HPJH
VIP visitors
Due to its proximity to the French capital, CDG frequently serves as the airport of choice for government and diplomatic flights. Close to Terminal 1 is the pavilion of honor where Presidents or other head of states are welcomed and can disembark with a high level of security. The government aircraft welcomed in CDG are quite various, especially during summits or official meetings with the French President.
CDG was previously the home base for the ET03.060 Esterel, the transport squadron of the French Air Force. The unit operated a fleet of three Airbus A310 and two A340-200 and while the official headquarters of the unit were in Creil Air Base (north of Paris), the aircraft were stationned in Paris. Their mission were the support of the French government, being for military purpose, strategic airlift, or special missions such as humanitarian aid or sanitary evacuation. The squadron is called upon to intervene for any strategic transport ordered by the French authorities, especially in the case of a mass evacuation following a political upheaval or a natural disaster. In this regard, the crews of the Esterel are often described as 'those who go where others do not dare to go'. A340s were retired from active service in 2020 and A310s in 2021. These aircraft have been replaced by three A330-200 delivered between 2020 and 2022, and have moved to Istres Air Base pending their MRTT conversion in a few years. The ET03.060 has in the meantime been incorporated into the 31 EARTS (Escadre Aérienne de Ravitaillement et de Transport Stratégique - Refuelling and Strategic Transportation Air Wing).
Qatar Amiri Flight Boeing 747-8I BBJ | A7-HBJ
Republic of Turkey Boeing 747-8I BBJ | TC-TRK
Global Jet Luxemburg Airbus A340-300 | M-IABU
Air India / Indian Government Boeing 747-400 | VT-ESO
Republic of Mexico Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner | TP-01 / XC-MEX
Kingdom of Morocco Boeing 747-8I BBJ | CN-MBH
Royal Thai Air Force Airbus A340-500 | HS-TYV
Qatar Amiri Air Force Boeing 747-8I BBJ | A7-HHE
Royal New Zealand Air Force Boeing 757-200 | NZ7572
République Française Airbus A340-200 | F-RAJA
République Française Airbus A310-300 | F-RADB
