>@EIB/Aéroports de la Côte d’Azur

A €100 million loan agreement to finance the expansion and modernisation of Nice Côte d’Azur Airport was signed on Friday 21 November by Dominique Thillaud, CEO of Aéroports de la Côte d’Azur, and Philippe de Fontaine Vive, Vice-President of the European Investment Bank (EIB).

This key long-term loan for Nice Côte d’Azur Airport has been granted on highly competitive terms made possible by the EIB’s triple A credit rating. It will provide effective tailor-made solutions to cater for future air traffic growth and improve service quality for travellers by financing the construction of new facilities designed to increase the airport’s terminal capacity by around 4 million passengers a year. It will also enable the development of innovative airside solutions to allow the landing and take-off of large aircraft and provide travellers with improved check-in and baggage handling services.

This is a major “European” project inasmuch as Nice Côte d’Azur is France’s second busiest airport after Paris and an important international hub for accessing the region and the Principality of Monaco. It will also serve to create new jobs once traffic reaches the design capacity of the new equipment and facilities.

“A region’s economic and touristic attractiveness is essential to its sustainable development. I am therefore delighted to sign this loan agreement with Nice Côte d’Azur airport. This is both a regional and a European project geared to the common objective of improving the performance, capacity for innovation and competitiveness of the air transport sector” said EIB Vice-President Philippe de Fontaine Vive at the signing ceremony. “This is how we will build the region’s future together.”

Dominique THILLAUD, CEO of Aéroports de la Côte d’Azur, added that the agreement would strengthenthe regions’ vital participation in development and growth. This loan provides a means of meeting the government’s objectives in terms of tourism, growth and continued decentralisation while responding to Aéroports de la Côte d’Azur’s priorities. France’s leading airport outside Paris, serving its biggest region in terms of leisure and business tourism, aims to unlock the growth opportunities connected with the development of long-haul air links from regional cities. Improving the quality of air services from France’s regional airports will represent a major asset for the regions. Today’s loan from the EIB will enable us to move in this direction by financing the necessary works to best improve the quality of our services and increase the capacity of our landside and airside facilities.”

This loan testifies to the EIB’s commitment to supporting the economic development of Provence Alpes Côte d’Azur. It brings to nearly €700 million total EIB financing provided in the region so far in 2014 in key sectors such as transport, health, energy efficiency, youth training and innovation.