Airport of Orly

The airport of Orly is a Aéroport francilien located at 14 km in the south of Paris. It is primarily used for the national flights, European, and the flights bound for the the Maghreb, of the the Middle East, DOM-TOM French and Canada: Montreal and Moncton.

The airport of Orly is the second airport platform of France after the Aéroport Roissy-Charles-of-Gaulle, and the tenth European airport, with: 229335 movements per annum in 2006. It is divided into two principal air terminals: the Southern air terminal and the Western air terminal (4 halls) and have three tracks. The airport counts also an air terminal of Fret, and a zone of maintenance. It is managed by the company Aéroports of Paris ( ADP ).

Its establishment in the middle of an extremely strong urbanization (: 2500 inhabitants with the km ²) and the harmful effects which it generates do not allow its development.

Geographical location

The airport of Orly is located at 14 km in the south of Paris. It is built on a completely flat plate, called plate of Longboyau, at an altitude of 88 meters. To the west, some small hills limit the sight. To the east, the plate falls quickly on the the Seine. The climate of the airport is a degraded oceanic climate. The average temperatures are rather soft, energy of + 4°C in January to 19°C in August. In clear weather, one can see the Eiffel Tower and the Tour Montparnasse in direction of north, and the transmitter radio of Holy-Base in the south.

Its coordinates:

Its 1 528 Hectare S - a seventh of the surface of Paris will intra muros , or the equivalent of a city as Nancy - are distributed on 7 common pertaining to 2 departments:

History and dates

Beginnings

Port-aviation, installed with Viry-Châtillon, at the edge of the Seine, is one of the first aerodromes organized in the world. It is there that are held the majority of the air meetings of the time. The site of the current airport of Orly, the plate of Longboyau, is then occupied by fields. These fields will be used as ground of help with Port-Aviation, as for example at the time of the Inondation S of 1910 which made it unusable. With the beginning of the First World War, the site, easily locatable and accessible, is used as ground of help with the combined planes, and the farmers of the plate frequently see them being posed.

January 1st 1918, the ministry for the Armies Requisition eleven hectares on the plate of Longboyau, and a hangar settles there. It is the beginning of the camp of aviation of “Orly - Villeneuve”. More and more of planes are sent on the face starting from this ground. The March 31st 1918, during the First World War, the States-Uniens establish their air base on the plate of Orly. It becomes an army ground, where the French, Belgian and States-Uniens are côtoient until in 1919.

After 1918

After the First World War, the ground has a primarily military vocation for the marine . Two immense hangars are built to accommodate airships, poured as war indemnities by the Germany in France. But the airships are lost in the Mediterranean, and the hangars will be occupied by planes. The pilot Henri Guillaumet was trained at the military academy of Orly.

Already, a civil airport is installed in the north of the site, accommodating planes of civil passengers. Several flying schools are installed in Orly, like that of Charles Nungesser, in which the aviatrice Helene Boucher will make his first flights. The ground accommodates moreover the majority of the aeronautical meetings of the time.

During the Second world war, the ground is initially attacked by the Luftwaffe , then becomes then a German military base. It is systematically bombarded by allied aviation, and the August 23rd 1944, the US Air Force settles in Orly. It is at this time that old the Control tower is built, still visible today, as well as tracks North-South (02/20) of which one is from now on abandoned, but always presents.

Post-war period

In 1945, the company Aéroports of Paris is created, charged with exploiting the airports around Paris. The November 7th 1946, the Americans return the management of the airport to France. A provisional air terminal, just beside the old tower of control, is built, just as long track 3 of 2 100 meters. In 1948 the northern air terminal, destroyed is inaugurated today. The Aéroport of Le Bourget still remains, for little time, the principal airport of Paris. The Air Show is held in Orly.

In 1947, the navy returns to Orly. In 1950 takes place the last air meeting on the site. But as of this time, the need for a new civil airport near to Paris will give a rise, and the final prevalence with the civil activity. Air France leaves the airport of Le Bourget for Orly the November 28th 1952. The airport of Le Bourget recovers the air meeting, become since the famous aeronautical Salon of Le Bourget. This year, with 1,2 Orly, passenger million accommodates already twice more passengers than the airport of Le Bourget. The era of the navy takes definitively fine on March 1st 1954. Orly becomes an entirely civil airport then.

The French Army and the American army however continue to use the airport of Orly sometimes, and this, until today. For example, it is of Orly that the last French troops for the Indo-China left, the May 3rd 1954.

The Southern air terminal, “Sundays in Orly”

The Southern air terminal (1957 - 1960) devotes a marked evolution. It was officially inaugurated the February 24th 1961 by the Général de Gaulle. Its architecture is innovating (see the paragraph on the architecture of Southern Orly). To be able to increase the airport, of many grounds were requisitioned, and will continue to be it in the following years.

In the following years, the Southern air terminal is visited by tourists who come to spend their “Sunday to Orly”. Many trade in the air terminal, which accommodates moreover one cinema with two rooms, attract tourists and buildings. A famous song of Gilbert Bécaud speaks about these Sundays in Orly. The Southern air terminal is then a symbol of luxury and modernity, a window of France, which does not cease making dream. One passes there sometimes the largest high-speed motorboats which are made photograph. In 1963, more than three million nonmomentary visitors came, making this air terminal the monument more visited France, in front of the Eiffel Tower. The number of the tourists reaches even 4 million in 1965.

The airport is equipped gradually with the adequate installations. In 1953, the first radar is installed. In 1957, a VOR is installed, allowing a more precise approach on the airport, and this with the great satisfaction of the residents which complain about the noise.

The June 3rd 1962 a Boeing 707 chartered by Air France and bound for Atlanta was crushed during takeoff. There were 132 people on board; 130 were killed. The only surviving ones were two airline hostesses who had sat with the back of the apparatus. They were only slightly wounded. At that time, it was the record of the greatest number of died in the accident of only one plane.

The growth of the traffic is such as the Southern air terminal accommodates 6 million passengers in 1965, and 9 million in 1969, is half more than its theoretical capacity. In 1966 is inaugurated a news tower of control in Orly, always in service currently. In same time, a new track, known as “track 4” is built. Moreover, the transfer to Rungis of the international market supports the growth of the activity of freight.

But already, the strong urbanization of the Parisian suburbs makes difficult the cohabitation between the residents and the airport. The night Curfew of 23:30 to 6:00 of the morning between in force in April 1968, by ministerial decision.

Starting from the Years 1970

To always face a passenger traffic in rise, the construction of the Western air terminal, designed it also by Henri Vicariot, is launched in 1967. It enters in service the February 26th 1971, after 40 months of work. It is organized according to a new diagram for the time: departures on the first floor, and arrivals at the ground floor. The air terminal of Southern Orly will be reorganized later according to a similar diagram. The Western air terminal will know many enlargings thereafter.

But the airport of Orly then misses space to increase, the zone being already strongly urbanized, and the grounds available limited. To face its announced saturation, the airport of Roissy enters in service in 1974.

July 11th, 1973, a Boeing 707 of the Brazilian company Varig carrying out the Rio-Paris connection is crushed close to Orly after a fire had been declared on board. One counts 123 dead out of 134 people on board.

March 3rd, 1974 the flight 981 of Turkish Airlines for London is crushed in the forest of Ermenonville, to have taken off shortly after of Orly. This accident, known under the name of catastrophe of Ermenonville, is due to a bad closing of door. Decompression exploded MacDonnell Douglas DC-10, and killed the 346 passengers on board.

The target of attacks

The January 13rd 1975 takes place a famous attack in Orly. Terrorists supported by PFLP, with famous the Carlos at their head, draw with a Lance-roquettes on a plane from the Israeli company El-Al, but miss it. A Yugoslav plane is touched, making 3 wounded. The terrace of Southern Orly will be closed with the public following this event. Gradually, much of companies leave Orly for Roissy. Little by little, the air terminal loses its tourist frequentation , and the cinema is definitively closed in 1982. It is the end of “Sundays in Orly”.

The January 19th 1975, Carlos returns with two other people. They attack the airport and take two people in Otage. They ask and obtain a plane to leave to Baghdad. This attack made 21 wounded.

The May 20th 1978, a shooting bursts in the international zone of the airport of Southern Orly, with the counter of El Al, killing four people, including three terrorists.

The June 12th 1980, Direct action makes an attack against the instruction of the airport, wounding 8 people.

The July 15th 1983, an attack in Orly organized by terrorist group Armenian ASALA, aiming at the counter of the company Turkish Airlines, makes 8 dead and 55 wounded.

Starting from the Years 1990

In 1991 is created the connection Orlyval making it possible to connect the airport to the Gare of Antony. It uses the automatic transport system VALLEY which was developed for the Métro of Lille and is also used today with Rennes, in Toulouse, the the United States and Roissy CDG. This year, the airport of Roissy transports more passengers than Orly, and the priority of development is given to him.

Since the middle of the years 1990, the airport of Orly changes vocation. It becomes an airport, primarily of passengers, with destinations national, European, but also bound for the Maghreb, of the Middle East, and the French DOM-TOM. The long-distance and transatlantic flights leave gradually to the airport Roissy, just as most of the activity of freight. This vocation is reinforced with the creation of the hub of Air France which created regular shuttles bound for Toulouse, Nice, Bordeaux and Marseilles. The frequent shuttles and the companies '' low-cost '' democratize little by little air transport, and make it easier.

During the Years 2000, vast renovation works of the air terminals, tracks and tarmac are launched.

General statistics and data

The airport in figures

270 companies representing approximately: 25000 paid.
: 70000 m of warehouses of freight: 100000 m of offices.
Approximately: 15000 places of Carpark, distributed of 14 parks.
3 tracks, of which 2 are equipped for the landing with category III.
2 radars of ground, and 2 radars of approach.
1 beacon VOR/DME.

Figures for 2005

: 222878 movements of planes (as comparison: : 514000 for Roissy, and: 123000 for Lyon Saint-Exupéry).
107 thousands of tons of freight and Station (: 2010 thousands of tons for Roissy).
24,82 million passengers transported in 2005 (as comparison: 54 million for Roissy, 9 million for Nice and 6,5 million for Lyon Saint-Exupéry), a theoretical capacity of 30 million passengers. They are distributed in the following way:

51,8 % for the national traffic,
19,8 % for Europe,
10,8 % for the DOM-TOM,
13,7 % for Africa,
1,6 % for the Middle East,
2,3 % for the other international destinations.

average Carrying: 112 passengers by movements (140 in London Heathrow, 105 in Roissy, 78 in Toulouse).
: 11727 m of commercial surface.
37 airline companies.
309 served cities (294 in 2004).

Figures for 2006

The traffic was registered in rise of 3,1 % in Paris-Orly with: 25622152 passengers according to ADP and: 25603532 according to the DGAC. The number of movements of planes is in rise of 2,9 % with: 229371. These figures translate the improvement of the rate of filling of the planes (66,1 % in 2006 against 65,7 % in 2005) and of the capacity of carrying (114 passengers per flight in 2006 compared with 113 in 2005).

One can notice the traffic limited freight, which shows well the vocation of the airport of Orly to being an airport of passengers. There is little plane specifically of freight landing in Orly, freight passing rather by the planes of passengers having a compartment reserved for this activity.

Statistical evolution

Companies

Companies present

The list below is not exhaustive , and is likely to change quickly.

Final Orly West

Air France, Air Nostrum, Brit Air, CCM Airlines, CityJet, Iberia, TAP Portugal

Final Orly South

Aerocondor, Air Algérie, Air Berlin, Air Burkina, Air the Caribbean, Air Europa, Air Ivory, Air Malted, Air the Mediterranean, Air Senegal International, Aigle Azur, Airlinair, Atlas Blue, Corsair, Cubana, Deutsche BA (now Air Berlin), EasyJet, EgyptAir, Hapag-Lloyd Express, Hex' Air, Iran Air, Jet4you, Jetair, Karthago Airlines, MyWay, Norwegian, Royal Air Maroc, SkyEurope, Syrianair, Thomson, I Transavia I Tunisair, Turkish Airlines, Volare Airlines, the Plane

(update starting from the data valid for the summer 2006)

Distribution 2006 of the companies serving the airport

In many commercial flights:

Air France 56%
Iberia 6%
Easyjet 5%
Royal Air Maroc 3%
Corsair 2%

In many passengers:

Air France 54%
Easyjet 6%
Corsair 6%
Iberia 5%
Royal Air Maroc 3%

Structure and remarkable buildings

Orly South

The construction of the air terminal of Southern Orly began in February 1957 and was completed in February 1961. The air terminal marked the evolution of the airport and an international repute gave him. It was inaugurated by the de Gaulle General, adding a word remained famous in the history of the airport: If ever a work justified the pride of those which built it with their brain and their hands, it is well that which here is, with the meeting of the sky and the ground… . Its architecture, conceived by Henri Vicariot, is entirely metal, founded on methods imported of in addition to the Atlantic. The broad recourse to the Steel, the Aluminum, and the curtain walls (first in France), is then a major technical innovation.

Main road 7 was deviated during the construction of the air terminal. It is the first time that this axis is recalled since the Roman period . It passes from now on under the Southern air terminal, and the taxiways, and the motorist sees sometimes a plane operating just above him. By far, he sees the air terminal scintillating, and barring in a spectacular way the axis towards Paris.

The air terminal is spread vis-a-vis the tracks in a bar of more than 700 meters length, consisted of a principal building of 200 meters and two side piers. It is deep of 70 meters. This provision makes it possible to limit to 300 meters the course foot of the travellers, that is to say appreciably less than the distance to join the head of a train on the quay of a station.

The large hall on the first floor is, at the time, of an unknown dimension in a public building, and gives to the visitor a remarkable impression of space, thanks to its luminous and ventilated atmosphere. The curtain walls offer a unspoilable view on the Tarmac and make it possible to observe there the activity around the planes, which appear within reach. The shops of luxury, the cinema, the access to the terraces, the bars, the restaurants will make a tourist center of attraction of it major. In the Years 1960 and 1970, this air terminal will constitute a genuine window of France. Success is such as the air terminal will become the monument more visited France in front of the Eiffel tower.

The sound atmosphere it carefully was as thought, to give a feeling calmer as that reigning in the stations of the time. More: 3000 Haut-parleur S of low noise level are distributed in the air terminal. A feminine voice suave shells the most exotic destinations. The functional messages are not sent by loudspeaker, but by radio with each agent, thus relieving the visitor of information which is not useful for him.

The air terminal increased since, thrown it is completed in 1962.

Orly West

The construction of Western Orly is launched in 1967, and is inaugurated the February 24th 1971. Halls 2 (renovated in 2006 to accommodate the flights “the Shuttle” of Air France) and 3 are inaugurated this day there. It was conceived by the architects Vicariot, Costing, Vigouroux and Laroche. In 1986, hall 4 is brought into service. Hall 1 is inaugurated in 1993, conceived by Paul Andreu.

Its architecture is it also metal. But especially, the design is innovative. The air terminal is designed to facilitate to the fast and effective loading passengers.

First of all, the levels are separated, the first stage being used for the loading, and the ground floor on arrivals. Then, the distribution in hall makes it possible to the passenger very quickly to find his counter of loading. Lastly, the deployment of the footbridges, the first in France, allows a fast loading of the travellers, directly of the air terminal on the aircraft.

On the first floor, one can admire a sphere named “the Astrolabe”, become an emblem of Western, supposed Orly to represent the Solar system.

The House of the environment

The House of the environment of the airport of Orly is a place of information and documentation for the general public. This place makes it possible to discover the history of the airport, the air traffic, the activities of the stopover and the exposures on the environment, in particular on the prevention and the control of the harmful effects due to the air traffic. The residents can visualize the trajectories of the planes there, in the event of litigation. Each year, of the meetings are organized there exposing to the public the aeronautical formations.

This contemporary building (1995) is the certified copy of a House of the built-up areas in Roissy by ADP, in the fields of the architect Paul Andreu, author of the air terminal of Roissy and the Opéra of Beijing. Very luminous and open on the air terminal of Orly, it is surrounded by plantations of Charme S.

Opened Monday to Friday of 9:00 to 16:30. Free entry and carpark.

Other buildings

The house of honor

A house of honor exists in Orly, located just beside the Western air terminal, to allow the reception of important personalities of foreign countries, which come regularly to France. It is surrounded by Mât S on which are hung the Drapeau X of the country concerned.

The control center on the way

Directly beside the airport of Orly (more precisely in Athis-Mons) is the Control center on the way (JRC), also called Center on the way of the aerial navigation (CRNA). This center is used for the air control of the planes when they are in cruising, dealing with them for the overflights of the Paris region like for the regulations of the departures and approaches of the airports of the sector, in particular Orly and Roissy.

The power station

The power station is a building which often intrigues the passengers and the visitors. It is from there that is distributed all water of the airport, that it is for drinking water, or for the Climatisation S. It is also there that, and all electricity in the airport redistributed transformed is received.

The Control tower

It was built in 1966, just beside the Southern air terminal, in the same style as the air terminal, constituting with it a harmonious unit. It 54 meters is high. It comprises a watchtower, as well as a room IFR. It is there that the air traffic is managed on the tarmac of Orly, and in the Airspace of approach. The air control of Orly manages also the approach of the aerodromes of Toussus-the-Noble Vélizy-Villacoublay and .

The old tower of control

The old tower of control, built in 1945 by the American army is always visible today. It always presents the same aspect as at the time.

The center of regulation of the surfaces

The center of regulation of the aprons, in summary CRA, is a small tower often confused with the tower of control. It is located just opposite the air terminal of Southern Orly, other side of a taxiway. It is used to decide carparks of the planes, and their place.

Basin of activity and noise pollutions

The proximity of the airport of Orly, the highway A6 and the highway A86 gave birth to from the zones of activities in particular with Rungis near, but also in the other cities around the airport. Multiple warehouses and companies are established, such as for example with Massy. It results a vast basin from it from employment as well as the development of the communes of the neighborhoods and this, in spite of the harmful effects and the constraints. Between: 25000 and: 29000 people work directly or indirectly for the airport, inducing a great economic activity in the communes of the neighborhoods.

In the name of the environmental respect certain associations require that an alternative study on the founded good of the economic development of the airport of Orly be carried out.

Although the airport is established on only 7 communes, more than 45 complain about noise pollutions and the air pollution which extend on all the south francilien. The residents and communes have creates more than one hundred associations to be opposed to the increase these harmful effects, and claim the creation of another airport in the large Paris basin.

The planes are supposed to follow well defined trajectories, but always do not respect them.

VPE (volume of environmental protection) define obligatory corridors for takeoffs and the landings.

In spite of the requests of the residents which wish to deposit felt sorry for at an independent organism, the residents can carry felt sorry for only to the House of the environment of Orly managed by the manager of the airport, and visualize the trajectories of planes there.

The lawsuits are considered and sanctioned by the CNPN and the ACNUSA.

The complaints relate to mainly the Essonne (46 %) and the Valley-of-Marne (40 %). There was of it: 1757 in 2003: 1788 in 2004, and 753 in 2005. The principal reasons are. The Sunday Mirror of March 11th, 1956, and the New York Times of February 20th, 1956 report the event.

a subway station is present under the air terminal of Southern Orly. It was envisaged as of the design of the air terminal, but forever used.
the construction of a fifth track was envisaged, parallel with the track n°2, but carried out forever.
an association preserves a Dakota DC-3, a Catalina, as well as a flying fortress B17 in a hangar of Orly. One can sometimes see them flying, in particular at the time of the meeting of Ferté-Went It the weekend of the Pentecost. At the time of this meeting, the airport also traditionally accommodates the Patrouille of France which made a demonstration there. During this weekend still, a fun fair takes place on the ground of the Delta museum around the Harmony.
a corridor of circulation of Hélicoptère S crosses Orly in the North-South axis, passing above the Southern air terminal.
the Southern air terminal, as well as the tower of control are classified historic buildings.
the green meridian crosses the airport of Orly.
Of the Fox S and the falcons kestrels lives in the airport.
a fighter Étendard IV is visible in a park with Paray-Old woman-Station, just beside the airport.
Orly is also a female Prénom .

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