Aéroport du Grand Ouest
Encyclopedia
The Aéroport du Grand Ouest is a planned new airport, to be situated 30 kilometre to the north-west of the French
city of Nantes
in the commune of Notre-Dame-des-Landes
. It is intended that the new airport will replace Nantes Atlantique Airport
as the airport for Nantes, but also serve as an international gateway for western France.
The €580 million project was approved in February 2008, with construction expected to start in 2014 and an opening date in 2017 . Initially the airport will have a capacity of four million passengers a year, increasing to nine million by 2050. This compares with the current capacity at Nantes Atlantique of three million passengers a year, a capacity that it is claimed cannot be increased because of the proximity of the airport to the city centre (a distance of only 8 km (5 mi)).
The new airport will have two runways, and will be linked to the French motorway and rail
networks.
The airport has been met with strong opposition, notably led by The Greens
, Ségolène Royal
and Arnaud Montebourg
, even though the Socialist Party (France)
support it.
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
city of Nantes
Nantes
Nantes is a city in western France, located on the Loire River, from the Atlantic coast. The city is the 6th largest in France, while its metropolitan area ranks 8th with over 800,000 inhabitants....
in the commune of Notre-Dame-des-Landes
Notre-Dame-des-Landes
Notre-Dame-des-Landes is a commune in the Loire-Atlantique department in western France.The commune is the planned site of the new Aéroport du Grand Ouest, intended to replace Nantes Atlantique Airport. The €580 million project was approved in February 2008, with construction expected to start in...
. It is intended that the new airport will replace Nantes Atlantique Airport
Nantes Atlantique Airport
Nantes Atlantique Airport is an international airport serving Nantes, France. It is located southwest of the city, in Bouguenais.The airport is operated by the Chambre de commerce et d'industrie de Nantes...
as the airport for Nantes, but also serve as an international gateway for western France.
The €580 million project was approved in February 2008, with construction expected to start in 2014 and an opening date in 2017 . Initially the airport will have a capacity of four million passengers a year, increasing to nine million by 2050. This compares with the current capacity at Nantes Atlantique of three million passengers a year, a capacity that it is claimed cannot be increased because of the proximity of the airport to the city centre (a distance of only 8 km (5 mi)).
The new airport will have two runways, and will be linked to the French motorway and rail
Rail transport
Rail transport is a means of conveyance of passengers and goods by way of wheeled vehicles running on rail tracks. In contrast to road transport, where vehicles merely run on a prepared surface, rail vehicles are also directionally guided by the tracks they run on...
networks.
The airport has been met with strong opposition, notably led by The Greens
The Greens (France)
The Greens were a Green political party to the centre-left of the political spectrum in France. They had officially been in existence since 1984, but their spiritual roots could be traced as far back as René Dumont’s candidacy for the presidency in 1974...
, Ségolène Royal
Ségolène Royal
Marie-Ségolène Royal , known as Ségolène Royal, is a French politician. She is the president of the Poitou-Charentes Regional Council, a former member of the National Assembly, a former government minister, and a prominent member of the French Socialist Party...
and Arnaud Montebourg
Arnaud Montebourg
Arnaud Montebourg is a French politician, and a deputy of the fifth district of Saône-et-Loire to the French National Assembly for the Socialist Party. He has also been elected president of the local assembly of Saône et Loire after local elections in 2008...
, even though the Socialist Party (France)
Socialist Party (France)
The Socialist Party is a social-democratic political party in France and the largest party of the French centre-left. It is one of the two major contemporary political parties in France, along with the center-right Union for a Popular Movement...
support it.