The French government has asked the operator of Paris Charles de Gaulle airport to rethink its plan to build a giant new terminal because of concerns over the environment and fears that the business case no longer holds up in a post-Covid world.
France's ecological transition minister Barbara Pompili said on Thursday that the proposed terminal 4 is “obsolete” and that construction was not compatible with France's 'climate resilience' laws.
Speaking to Le Monde, Pompili said, “The government has asked [Groupe] ADP to abandon its project and present it with a new one, more consistent with its objectives of combating climate change and protecting the environment.”
The minister later tweeted: “We have another vision for air travel: a reasoned use of this means of transport and a rapid reduction of its ecological impact.”
The proposed new terminal 4 was first conceived in 2018 and would have had capacity for 35 to 40 million passengers a year.
The board of directors of state-owned Groupe ADP, which manages Charles de Gaulle and Orly airports, is expected to ratify this decision next week.
Augustin de Romanet, chairman and CEO of Groupe ADP, said: “Air transport must accelerate its energy transition. After the State's decision to ask Groupe ADP to abandon the current Terminal 4 project as well as to present a new development project for Paris-Charles de Gaulle, Groupe ADP is taking time for reflection on the future challenges of the airport.”