VINCI Airports Electric Tour 2024 in partnership with the French Aeronautical Federation (FFA) : final stop at Lyon-Bron Airport
- VINCI Airports and the FFA co-organized a tour with electric planes between four airports in the VINCI Airports network located in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region: Annecy, Chambéry, Grenoble, and Lyon-Bron.
- This event, held from May 28 to 31, aims to promote the use of electric planes in general aviation to reduce CO2 emissions and noise pollution.
- It is another example of VINCI Airports' ambition to promote the decarbonization of air transport, both within airport activities and beyond.
The VINCI Airports Electric Tour was officially launched on Tuesday, May 28, at Annecy Haute-Savoie Mont-Blanc Airport, in the presence of Martial Saddier, President of the Haute-Savoie Department, Valérie Vesque-Jeancard, Deputy Managing Director of VINCI Airports France, Kevin Dupuch, President of the FFA, and Jean-Luc Charron, Honorary President of the FFA. Since 2020, VINCI Airports and the FFA have established a partnership aimed at promoting the evolution of the general aviation fleet by enabling the development and use of electric planes by flying clubs and flight schools.
The VINCI Airports Electric Tour took place in four stages from Tuesday, May 28 to Friday, May 31, connecting Annecy Haute-Savoie Mont-Blanc Airport (28/05), Chambéry Savoie Mont Blanc Airport (29/05), Grenoble Alpes Isère Airport (30/05), and Lyon-Bron Airport (31/05). For this occasion, three Pipistrel Velis Electro electric planes were mobilized: one of the seven planes from the FFA (used by the Chambéry flying club), the plane from the Avialpes flight school (based at Annecy Airport), and the plane from the Lyon-Bron Interclub Center (rented from Green AeroLease). These planes were made available for 30-minute demonstration flights, showcasing the benefits of electric planes to local institutional stakeholders and residents, while connecting the four airports.
The Pipistrel Velis Electro is the only electric plane certified by EASA (European Union Aviation Safety Agency). Using the latest aviation technologies, it emits no CO2 and significantly reduces noise pollution, allowing for nearly silent flight (60 decibels). It has a one-hour range, sufficient for connecting regional destinations, with a 40-minute recharge time.
During this event, Lyon-Bron Airport celebrated the first year of using the electric plane provided to the Lyon-Bron Interclub Center. The approximately 500 flights conducted demonstrate the success of the multi-stakeholder partnership initiated by VINCI Airports at Lyon-Bron Airport with the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Region through its Aeronautical and Space Academy, the neighboring municipalities of Bron, Chassieu, Décines, and Saint-Priest, the French Aeronautical Federation (FFA), and the Lyon-Bron Interclub Center (CICLB). The 2022-2027 Environmental Charter, led by Lyon-Bron Airport, promotes the use of this electric plane and supports the ongoing evolution of the general aviation fleet. To celebrate this anniversary, five residents from neighboring municipalities were invited to take an inaugural flight in the electric plane.
Valérie Vesque-Jeancard, Deputy Managing Director of VINCI Airports France: "Through the Electric Tour, we aim, together with the FFA, to highlight the electric fleet already present in the flying clubs and flight schools based at our airports. We are convinced that a decarbonized light and general aviation is possible and wish to promote its development within our network, alongside the numerous actions undertaken to decarbonize commercial aviation."
Kevin Dupuch, President of the FFA: "Since 2011, the teams of the French Aeronautical Federation have been working on the concept of the 'flying club of the future' to best prepare for the energy transition and sustain the activities of French flying clubs. Among the many action paths, the FFA has identified the need, within the framework of clean energy, to support the technological leap that electric propulsion represents for light aircraft. Therefore, it decided to launch the project to evaluate electric planes in real operating conditions and help their development in France. Since the European certification of the electric plane in 2020, the FFA has acquired seven electric planes, and France, with nearly 40 electric planes, has the largest fleet in the world thanks to the FFA's training efforts with its partners, including VINCI Airports."
About the French Aeronautical Federation
Established in 1929, the FFA is a key player in the development of light aviation. It brings together over 600 flying clubs and 41,000 pilots. The federation serves as a liaison between public authorities, French civil aviation authorities, and the light aviation community. The largest private pilot federation in Europe and the second largest in the world, it represents 2,200 instructors, 2,500 aircraft, and 600,000 flight hours per year. www.ffa-aero.fr
About VINCI Airports
As the world’s leading private airport operator, VINCI Airports manages over 70 airports in 13 countries. Leveraging its expertise as a global integrator, VINCI Airports develops, finances, builds, and operates airports, bringing its investment capacity and know-how to optimize operational performance, modernize infrastructure, and drive their environmental transition. VINCI Airports was the first airport operator to commit to an international environmental strategy in 2016, aiming to achieve net-zero emissions across its entire network by 2050. www.vinci-airports.com
