Paris-Beauvais-Tillé Airport

Beauvais began to grow with the liberalisation of European air transport in 1997. That year 78,000 passengers passed through the airport; in 2025 there were 6.67 million. The number of flights rose from 4,366 in 2001 to 39,600 in 2025, and the average number of passengers per aircraft from 97 to 168.

Airlines and fleet

According to the official presentation, eight airlines operate scheduled flights at the airport, counting the Ryanair group’s subsidiaries separately:

• Ryanair (with Malta Air and Buzz): Boeing 737-8200 and Boeing 737-800
• Wizz Air: Airbus A320, A321neo and A321
• Lauda: Airbus A320
• HiSky: Airbus A320
• Dan Air: Airbus A319 and A320
• Volotea: Airbus A319 and A320

Each airline’s contact details are under Airlines and the list of routes under Destinations.

Infrastructure

• A site of 230 hectares, with a perimeter of about 12 km.
• 12 aircraft stands covering 55,000 m².
• Two runways: 12-30, measuring 2,430 × 45 m, and 04-22, measuring 708 × 18 m.
• Runway 12-30 has a Category III instrument landing system (ILS) at threshold 12 and Category I at threshold 30, allowing operations in very low visibility.

Its small size is an advantage for airlines: an A320 or B737-800 can turn around in 25 minutes and taxiing takes no more than 5 minutes. According to the airport, its punctuality is almost 10 points above the French average.

The two terminals

Both terminals handle Schengen and non-Schengen flights, are linked by a pedestrian walkway and have a combined 2,000 m² of restaurants and shops.

Access

You can reach the airport by motorway (A16, A15, A115, N31), on the official coach from Paris, on the local bus from central Beauvais, by coach from Amiens and by taxi. All the options are under Getting here.

Employment

35 companies work on the site, accounting for 1,200 direct jobs. Including indirect jobs, the airport’s activity generates around 4,800 jobs.

From military training ground to one of Europe’s major low-cost airports, these are the key dates:

• Before 1914: a military training ground north of Beauvais is used as an occasional landing strip.
• April 1920: it opens to civilian pilots on the Paris–London air route.
• August 1922: it opens as an emergency airfield of the Air Navigation Service, on a 550 × 500 m site, with no hangars, water or fuel depot.
• 1935-1937: the Air Ministry buys 150 hectares to extend the runways to 1,200 m, and in 1937 decides to turn it into a major air base, with a further 25 hectares. The war halts the work.
• 1940-1945: after the Battle of France, the Luftwaffe occupies the site and builds two concrete runways using rubble from the town, bombed in June 1940. Aircraft take off from here for the Battle of Britain. At the end of the war the Allies use it to bomb Germany.
• Post-war: it returns to civilian use, for private flights and light aviation.
• 1955: the State hands over its operation to the Oise Chamber of Commerce and Industry, which opens it to commercial flights.
• 1956: the British airline Skyways launches the first route to England.
• 1979: Terminal 1 opens.
• 1997: Ryanair opens its first route, Beauvais–Dublin, thanks to the liberalisation of the sector. This marks the start of the airport’s major growth.
• 2007-2008: the Syndicat Mixte de l'Aéroport de Beauvais-Tillé (SMABT) is created and receives ownership of the airport from the State. Following a tender, it entrusts operation to SAGEB, created in 2008. Terminal 2 and the Category III ILS follow.
• 2014: taxiway Whisky, the Terminal 1 apron and runway 04-22 are renovated.
• 2015: the bus station, a building for the car hire companies and a technical and logistics centre are built.
• 2019: a new control tower comes into service.
• End of 2020: Ryanair opens an operating base at Beauvais, in the middle of the COVID-19 crisis.
• 2022: the shuttle bus to Paris is renamed Aérobus and its fleet is renewed with coaches running on 100% French rapeseed biofuel.
• Since 2024: new coach routes are added to Saint-Denis Université, Paris La Défense, Paris La Villette and Disneyland Paris.
• 2024: management of the airport passes to Bellova, under a 30-year concession with a commitment to modernise the facilities. Work was scheduled to begin in early 2026.

The airport is publicly owned. Its owner is the Syndicat Mixte de l'Aéroport de Beauvais-Tillé (SMABT), made up of the Hauts-de-France region, the Oise department and the Beauvais conurbation.

Since 2024, under a 30-year public service delegation contract, the airport has been managed and operated by Bellova, a company formed by Egis, Serena Industrial Partners and Bouygues Construction. From 2008 to 2024 the operator was SAGEB (Société Aéroportuaire de Gestion et d'Exploitation de Beauvais), so that name still appears in some places.

The operating company is organised into administrative, operational (security, rescue and firefighting, car parks, aircraft ground handling) and technical (works and maintenance) departments. In addition there are subcontractors, handling agents and retailers.

Public bodies on site

The airport’s activity comes under the authority of the Prefect of the Oise and is overseen by several State services:

• Directorate General for Civil Aviation (DGAC): its regional office oversees and certifies operators, and the Beauvais-Tillé control service directs air traffic from the tower.
• Border Police (PAF): checks passports on arrival and departure, monitors airport security and acts as the general police force (taxis, disputes, theft and so on).
• Air Transport Gendarmerie Brigade (BGTA): mainly responsible for security (checks on people, vehicles and companies), as well as aviation matters and criminal investigation.
• Customs: informs travellers about allowances and checks goods, luggage and people. More information under customs.

Bellova has included the airport in a sustainable development programme with a decarbonisation plan. The main milestones given by the airport are:

• ISO 14001 environmental management certification.
• Level 4 of the Airport Carbon Accreditation (ACA) programme.
• Preparation for ISO 50001 energy management certification, expected in 2027.

In addition, the Aérobus coaches run on 100% French rapeseed biofuel. For questions about the airport’s environmental policy, the email address is service.environnement@aeroportbeauvais.com.