{"id":13079,"date":"2026-01-17T13:02:53","date_gmt":"2026-01-17T12:02:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rivieraedition.com\/?p=13079"},"modified":"2026-03-15T12:17:09","modified_gmt":"2026-03-15T11:17:09","slug":"nice-cote-dazur-airport-reports-record-traffic-as-international-tourism-rises","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rivieraedition.com\/en\/nice-cote-dazur-airport-reports-record-traffic-as-international-tourism-rises\/","title":{"rendered":"C\u00f4te d\u2019Azur Airports Report Record Traffic as International Tourism Rises"},"content":{"rendered":"

The C\u00f4te d\u2019Azur Airports group has revealed it received record traffic in 2025, mostly attributed to a growth in international visitors. The Nice C\u00f4te d\u2019Azur Airport received 15.23 million commercial passengers in 2025, representing an increase of 3.2 % compared to the previous year. Update: Nice C\u00f4te d\u2019Azur Airport has added 10 new destinations for summer 2026<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n

As Antibes Juan-les-Pins’ mayor Jean Leonetti noted at a C\u00f4te d\u2019Azur Tourism event<\/a> last week, gone are the days when you mainly heard Italian voices in the avenues and beaches of the French Riviera. Today those voices are mixed with Americans, South Koreans, Scandinavians and so many more from every corner of the planet. The C\u00f4te d\u2019Azur is experiencing an increase in tourism, and not only in the summer, but all year around.<\/p>\n

International travel led the surge in passengers, increasing by 4.7 %. Regular long-haul traffic also grew by 5.8 %, thanks particularly to the opening of new routes to Washington in the summer<\/a> of 2025 and Dakar in the winter of 2024\/2025. The airport said the strong performance is a testament to the region’s international appeal and economic vitality.<\/p>\n

IN BRIEF: C\u00f4te d\u2019Azur Airports 2025 Stats:<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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  • The Nice airport welcomed 15.23 million commercial passengers.<\/li>\n
  • That equates to a 3.2 % increase in commercial passengers compared with 2024.<\/li>\n
  • Commercial flights are up by 1.9 % to a total of 163,052. (With higher-capacity aircraft being filled with more passengers.)<\/li>\n
  • International travel increased by 4.7 %.<\/li>\n
  • Domestic flights were slightly down by 0.3 %.<\/li>\n
  • Regular long-haul flights increased by 5.8 %.<\/li>\n
  • Business aviation climbed by 4 % across the group’s Riviera airports (Nice C\u00f4te d\u2019Azur, Cannes Mandelieu, and Golfe de Saint-Tropez)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    Nice Airport, the gateway to the French Riviera, is also France’s busiest airport outside of Paris<\/strong>. With grand dreams, the C\u00f4te d\u2019Azur airports group says<\/a> it achieved its objectives for 2025 (regarding performance, infrastructure and the environmental policy) and is well on track to reach its long-term goals.<\/p>\n

    Sustainability World Leader<\/h2>\n

    In fact, the airports group has excelled in its environmental policy, with Nice Airport achieving the highest level of accreditation for decarbonisation efforts five years ahead of its commitment to achieve net zero emissions. It became the first in France to achieve Level 5 Airport Carbon Accreditation<\/strong>, joining just 4 % of airports worldwide committed to this programme to have achieved this level. The accreditation confirms that the airport has cut at least 90 % of emissions<\/strong> and is implementing a roadmap to decarbonise its entire value chain.<\/p>\n

    The group is also one of only two airports worldwide<\/strong> to win the EcoVadis Gold Medal<\/strong> in 2025. “A\u00e9roports de la C\u00f4te d’Azur is thus ranked in the top 5% of the 150,000 companies audited worldwide by EcoVadis and in the top 1% of companies in the same sector,” said the group. The assessment covers the environment, social issues, ethics and responsible purchasing.<\/p>\n

    Terminal 2 Extension Nears Completion<\/h2>\n

    The airport completed the first phase of its major expansion of Terminal 2 in Spring last year. The features – including a larger passport control, improved non-Schengen departure lounge, a new shop, two new restaurants and a renovated VIP lounge – make for a better airport experience for travellers.<\/p>\n

    Even the spirit of passengers is being addressed with a “monumental” artwork by local Nice artist C\u00e9sar Malfi<\/strong> in a hangar adjacent to the extension. Titled ‘Psych\u00e9 et l\u2019Amour’ (Psyche and Love), it’s intended to offer travellers an uplifting sense of peace and serenity as they arrive in the beautiful C\u00f4te d\u2019Azur.<\/p>\n

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    \ud83c\uddeb\ud83c\uddf7\ud83c\udf89Votre a\u00e9roport vous souhaite une merveilleuse ann\u00e9e 2026 ! \ud83e\udd42\u2708\ufe0f “Psych\u00e9 et l\u2019Amour” de C\u00e9sar Malfi, inspir\u00e9e de Bouguereau et du bleu azur, bient\u00f4t au terminal 2 de l\u2019A\u00e9roport Nice C\u00f4te d\u2019Azur. pic.twitter.com\/oSVzBJAaDb<\/a><\/p>\n

    \u2014 A\u00e9roport de Nice (@AeroportNice) January 1, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n