The project aims to reorganize reception, security, waiting, retail, dining, and baggage delivery areas to meet top European airport standards. The €140M investment is fully supported by the airport and a banking consortium, with no public funding.
A central building will serve as a single entry point to the boarding gates, housing security control spaces of approximately 3,000 m² equipped with modern technology. These systems will allow passengers to keep shoes, belts, laptops, tablets, and liquids in their luggage, in compliance with current regulations. These upgrades will be phased in.
During the waiting period, around 5,000 m² will be organized around a central, light-filled square with runway views. This area will offer dining options, retail outlets, and access to various services to enhance the passenger experience.
Upon arrival, baggage delivery areas will be redesigned and consolidated into a clearer space to facilitate post-landing circulation and simplify the final stage of the journey.
Improvements will be progressive until 2029. The new facade between the two historic halls will be visible by summer 2027. Early 2028 will see a new departure route from Hall B with a new check-in front featuring ten new counters and the first, more fluid security screening lines. Baggage delivery halls will be connected. By summer 2029, the entire unified security checkpoint for both halls and the first retail outlets in the central square will open. By the end of 2029, the central building will be delivered, offering a complete experience.
The airport will remain open throughout the construction period, with enhanced signage and dedicated information tools for travelers. The project aligns with a sustainability initiative started in 2022, aiming for HQE Bâtiment Durable certification. It includes using local supply chains, rooftop photovoltaic panels, on-site geothermal energy, facade treatments to optimize natural light and reduce summer heat gain, and rainwater harvesting.
Simon Dreschel, Director of Bordeaux Airport, emphasizes: « Bordeaux is a dynamic territory and a brand, the airport must be a showcase. This is a modernization project far more than an expansion: we want to better welcome everyone who uses the airport platform daily, and offer our passengers more services, serenity, and travel comfort. »
