THE BLOG

Nice Côte d’Azur Airport closes 2025 with record traffic, major infrastructure delivery and highest-level environmental recognition

Passenger traffic reached 15.23 million in 2025. That’s a 3.2% increase compared to 2024. Growth was mainly driven by long-haul and international routes.
The first phase of Terminal 2’s expansion was delivered in spring 2025. New boarding areas and check-in systems will be operational by summer 2026. Infrastructure is being upgraded while maintaining airport operations.
Nice became the first French airport in its category to achieve ACA Level 5. This certifies a complete decarbonization strategy and a 90% cut in direct emissions.
A gold medal from EcoVadis ranked the airport among the global top 1% of its sector. It reflects progress in environmental, ethical, social and procurement policies.

Nice Côte d’Azur Airport released on January 12 its report on the year 2025. With record traffic, the Group managed to reconcile its objectives in terms of operational performance, territorial attractiveness development, and environmental preservation.

In 2025, Nice Côte d’Azur Airport welcomed 15.23 million commercial passengers, an increase of 3.2% compared to 2024. This development resulted in a smaller increase of 1.9% in the number of commercial aircraft movements, reaching 163,052, confirming the impact of fuller aircraft and greater capacities.

This performance reflects the attractiveness of a territory that is indeed landlocked, but economically and internationally renowned and served by the airport.

International traffic thus increased by 4.7% in one year, while domestic traffic saw a slight decline (-0.3%).

Regular long-haul passenger traffic grew by +5.8% in 2025, notably thanks to the opening of a route to Washington in summer and another to Dakar in winter 2024/2025.

In terms of business aviation, the airports of Nice Côte d’Azur, Cannes Mandelieu and Golfe de Saint-Tropez saw their number of aircraft movements increase by 4%.

An almost completed expansion

Nice Côte d’Azur Airport managed to accommodate record traffic while completing a large-scale project: the extension of Terminal 2.
In spring 2025, a first phase was delivered, with an enlarged new passport control area for departures, a widened and redesigned non-Schengen boarding lounge, a new retail store, two new food outlets, and a renovated VIP lounge.
By the 2026 high season, the pier and its six new boarding/disembarking lounges, as well as the new check-in area and its baggage handling system for arrivals and departures, will also come into service.

In order to give passengers a new perspective of the airport, a monumental work by the Nice-based artist César Malfi was created on a hangar adjacent to this extension.
Representing Psyche soaring in the arms of Love, it welcomes travelers and invites them to a moment of calm and serenity.

Continued improvement in environmental performance

As part of its environmental policy, Aéroports de la Côte d’Azur continued its decarbonization efforts, in line with the commitments it made in 2020.
Thus, Nice Airport became the first French airport in its category to obtain Level 5 Airport Carbon Accreditation, the highest and most demanding level.
Five years ahead of its commitment to reach net zero emissions, the airport joined the select group of 4% of airports worldwide that are engaged in this program and have reached its highest level of requirement.
This accreditation confirms that the airport has not only reduced by at least 90% the emissions under its control, but also that it has defined and is implementing a decarbonization roadmap for its entire value chain, including emissions from aircraft in cruise descent.

This distinction echoes another one, also obtained in 2025.
The group was awarded the EcoVadis Gold Medal, granted this year to only two airports in the world.
Aéroports de la Côte d’Azur thus ranks in the top 5% of the 150,000 companies audited worldwide by EcoVadis, and in the top 1% of companies in the same business sector.
The detailed assessment covers non-financial performance in four areas: environment (+8 points compared to 2024), social (+10 points), ethics (+12 points), and responsible procurement (+17 points).

Source: Groupe Aéroports de la Côte d’Azur