JR, cinema… In a tense global context, Paris airports are banking on culture to attract tourists

Clearings in the sky over Paris airports. Traffic at Roissy-Charles-de-Gaulle and Orly started to rise again in May, after having been stable or having fallen the previous month, the manager of the two major Paris airports, Groupe ADP, said on Monday June 15, 2026.

The first, located in Seine-Saint-Denis, welcomed 6.246 million passengers in May, or 0.6% more than a year earlier. The second, in Val-de-Marne, attracted 3.239 million, or 1.7% more. In April, traffic was stable at Roissy and fell at Orly (-3.6%).

With the war in the Middle East, this traffic “remains affected by adjustments to flight programs as well as restrictions on access to certain airspaces,” explains Groupe ADP. But the effects of this conflict “however, are gradually easing, with a resumption of movements and an improvement in the filling of flights”, according to him. An improvement which could be confirmed after the announcement of an agreement reached between the United States and Iran and a potential drop in fuel prices.

A gateway to a stable country

These two airports hope to benefit during the summer from tourists’ confidence in the stability of France, in the face of a “context of geopolitical instability”. Groupe ADP highlights, among other things, Paris as a cultural destination of choice, and airports as a gateway of choice.

The terminal 2E of Roissy has, for example, been decorated with a “giant buffer” on 400 m2 of stained glass bay by the artist JR de saCaverne du Pont-Neufhis latest work. A monumental installation that is currently being talked about in the capital. After suffering from a bad gust of wind, which delayed its unveiling, it has just been inaugurated.

Still in Roissy, on Thursday, a special operation will also be carried out in the departure lounge of terminal 2D. Â Echoing the appeal of June 18, 1940 and the theatrical release of the diptych The Battle of GaulleBNP Baripas will offer 2,000 cinema seats to travelers, including those bound for London. A scenography specially designed for the occasion will immerse travelers in the world of the time and in the adventure of Antonin Baudry’s film.

Groupe ADP manages airports in the rest of the world, for a total traffic of 32.758 million passengers in May, up 1.2% year-on-year.

with AFP

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