The 3rd Paris airport – away from it all!
The name Chaulnes is one to remember. This is probably the future location of Paris’ third international airport. The site lies 100 km north of Roissy and is 125 km from downtown Paris. Prime minister Lionel Jospin, transport minister Jean-Claude Gayssot and other members of the government who are involved in this project, have already taken the decision, but it will not be announced officially until next week, reported the financial newspaper La Tribune, referring to internal sources in the transport ministry. Chaulnes, situated in the Somme Department, is in close proximity to the A 1 (Paris-Lille) and A 29 (Reims-Amiens) freeways, and to the Paris-Lille-Brussels high-speed train route. According to the source quoted by the newspaper, it was transport minister Gayssot who championed this location amid truck farms in the rich agricultural region of the Picardy, and who was instrumental in persuading his ministerial colleagues. Eight sites were shortlisted after pre-selection and investigation by a governmental commission, among them the freight airport of Vatry, which is already operational. The regional council of the Picardy guardedly welcomed the proposals at the beginning of October but it made its approval subject to an opinion survey to be conducted among the local populace. Moreover it demanded that the government prove the necessity and usefulness of the new airport, which will become operational between 2015-2020 at the earliest.
(Source: INTERNATIONAL TRANSPORT JOURNAL)
