Charles De Gaulle Airport - 40 Years On

Terminal 1 - CDG Airport

40 years ago today, the newer Paris airport at the northern suburb of Roissy opened. Named after French leader Charles De Gaulle (1890 – 1970), it is located approx. 16 miles to the north-east of the French capital and is the 2^nd busiest airport in Europe (beaten only by Heathrow in London). In 2012 it was the 7^th busiest in the world.

The planning and construction of what was originally known as l’aéroport de Paris Nord, commenced in 1966 and it now covers an area of approx 8,000 acres of land. The main architect was Paul Andreu, who also planned airports in Manila (Philippines), Jacarta, Shanghai, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Brunei and the smaller original Paris location at Orly.

 

Air France jets parked at CDG

I had the pleasure of travelling into Charles De Gaulle Airport on an Air France jet from Heathrow a few years ago. I must admit that I was suitably impressed with the airline, finding that there were only 14 people on the flight and everyone was transferred up into Business Class.

 

Getting to the other end, everything seemed to run smoothly and a pleasant trip was had all round. Going back to Heathrow was another story, best left for another time maybe.

Happy Birthday l’aéroport de CDG