Air France to stop flights from Avignon to Paris

[Lori]

I didn't believe this, so I called the Caumont Airport staff to ask.  It is true.  As of July 1st, all Air France flights from Avignon to Paris will stop.

Does anyone know why?  The staff did not give me any explanation.  I suppose it must be due to fuel costs and perhaps the route is not making them much money.  Still, I would have thought they would simply cut back the number of flights per week, etc.

There was talk, way back when, that Caumont was going to expand their runway and bring in low cost carriers (more than the 2 ones that come in there now).  Anybody have any news on that?

Without Air France, the airport may as well shut down as they were the only ones that really used it.  There are the odd Flybe flights and JetBlue, but there aren't that many of those either.

[Anton Redman]

I suspect it is a victim of the 2:38 TGV service to Paris.

[Lori]

I thought that might be the case, but the fast train to Paris has been here for years.  A/F still offered the flights from Caumont.  And to stop altogether, meaning no flights at all, seems strange. 

[lorna]

My SIL is booked on Exeter to Avignon in July, I hope that is still operating

[Lori]

It is only A/F flights that are scheduled to stop as of August 1st.  The two low cost carriers are not stopping.

[Benjamin]

Lori's opening post mentions JetBlue as a carrier. The only company of that name I find when I Google it is an American airline.

Does anyone have a UK/European site for this loco?

[Lori]

Sorry, I meant Jet2

http://www.avignon-airport.com/Airlines/

[lorna]

OH says that flights from Paris to Lyon are also stopping and other internal AF flights. As Anton says, due to good deals on TGV and fast service. When we have looked for flights from UK to Lyon, for some 'flights' via Paris, AF have been providing TGV tickets for the onwards journey.

[Gardian]

The flights from Caumont to Orly have probably been 'marginal' for years - most passengers have probably been connecting with onward flts from Orly to elsewhere. The demise of the service has been in the Press for ages, though perhaps not publically advertised. It's a surprise that they've survived for so long.

Flybe & Jet2 will doubtless see their Summer commitments through.  What will happen from then remains to be seen.  Nimes is iffy (with the closure of the Naval base scheduled for some time in the near future) and one should expect consolidation to this general area, in to places like Marseille and Montpellier for flights from the UK. Hope I'm wrong by the way. 

Now there's a marketing opportunity for Eurostar / TGV.  Sadly though, they wouldn't see one if it smacked them in the face (and that's putting it politely, rather than the version I would have typed). 

 

[Mpprh]

It is surprising that these flights have lasted this long. Nimes AF flights finished a long time ago, although Marseille flights continue.

Flights to Avignon :

To		From	Carrier
Avignon	-	Edinburgh	Jet2
Avignon	-	Exeter	Flybe
Avignon	-	Leeds Bradford	Jet2
Avignon	-	Southampton	Flybe

Peter

[Lori]

So Caumont is simply a UK/Scotland airport.  When I called, I did ask if the airport was going to close.  I was told, emphatically, no.  Still, it is hard for me to imagine it continuing with only these few flights operating.  Whatever happened to the talk of extending the runway so 'real' planes could use the airport??  I know it was in the news quite a bit for a while, then it died down.

Does this mean that the rates for the TGV from Avignon to Paris will increase now, since they own the route??

[Gardian]

[quote user="Lori"]
Does this mean that the rates for the TGV from Avignon to Paris will increase now, since they own the route??
[/quote]

Lori .............

It won't make the slightest difference, other than any increase that might have happened anyway.

The 3-times daily Avignon flights moved perhaps 200 passengers absolute max each way daily. Each duplex single TGV unit carries 560 or so and there are probably 10 services daily, some double-unit. The maths are clear and bear out what Peter has said.