Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport(IATA: CDG, ICAO: LFPG), also known as Roissy Airport, is the primary international airport serving Paris, the capital of France. The airport opened in 1974 and is located in Roissy-en-France, 23km (14mi) northeast of the city centre of Paris. It is named after World War II leader and French president Charles de Gaulle, whose initials form its IATA airport code. It is one of two airports to serve the greater Paris area, the other being Orly Airport.
Charles de Gaulle Airport serves as the principal hub for Air France, as well as an operating base for easyJet. It is operated by Groupe ADP (Aéroports de Paris) under the brand Paris Aéroport.
In 2024, the airport handled 70,290,260 passengers and 466,543 aircraft movements, making it the world's fourteenth busiest airport and Europe's third busiest airport (after London–Heathrow and Istanbul) in terms of passenger numbers. Charles de Gaulle is the busiest airport within the European Union. In terms of cargo traffic, the airport is the second busiest in Europe, after Frankfurt, handling 1,914,681 tonnes of cargo in 2024. As of 2025, it was the airport served by the second highest number of airlines, after Suvarnabhumi Airport, with 105 airlines operating from it.
Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport covers 32.38 square kilometres (12.50sqmi) of land. The airport area, including terminals and runways, spans over three départements and six communes:
The choice of constructing an international aviation hub outside of central Paris was made due to a limited prospect of potential relocations or expropriations and the possibility of further expanding the airport in the future.[citation needed]
Management of the airport lies solely on the authority of Groupe ADP, which also manages Orly (south of Paris), Le Bourget (to the immediate southwest of Charles de Gaulle Airport, now used for general aviation and Paris Air Shows), several smaller airfields in the suburbs of Paris, and other airports directly or indirectly worldwide.[citation needed]
The planning and construction phase of what was known then as Aéroport de Paris Nord (Paris North Airport) began in 1966.
Terminal 2 opened in 1981 with the official inauguration in presence of the then President, François Mitterrand, in March 1982. Unlike Terminal 1, Terminal 2 was designed with a traditional linear layout, but has evolved over time into a series of distinct terminals, designated as 2A through to 2G.
The CDG Express, the direct express rail link from Paris to Charles de Gaulle Airport, is scheduled to open in early 2027.
On 15 December 2025, Groupe ADP announced that each terminal will be renamed in March 2027.
Corporate identity
On 14 April 2016, the Groupe ADP rolled out the Connect 2020 corporate strategy and the commercial brand Paris Aéroport was applied to all Parisian airports, including Le Bourget airport.
Terminals
Airport diagramAerial view of Terminal 1 in 2005 (before refurbishment)Aerial view of Terminal 2A and 2B in 2007 (before refurbishment)
Charles de Gaulle Airport has three terminals: Terminal 1 is the oldest and situated opposite to Terminal 3; Terminal 2 is located at another side with 7 sub-terminal buildings (2A to 2G). Terminal 2 was originally built exclusively for Air France; since then it has been expanded significantly and now houses other airlines. Terminals 2A to 2F are interconnected by elevated walkways and situated next to each other. Terminal 2G is a satellite building connected by shuttle bus.
Terminal 1
Terminal 1 closed in March 2020 in response to the drop in traffic during the COVID-19 pandemic. ADP used this time for a €250 million refurbishment. Completed in 2023, the refurbishment included the creation of a new junction building linking satellites 1, 2 and 3, and modernisation of the central body of the terminal. Various design details in the refurbished terminal pay homage to the circular shape of the original Andreu design. The upgraded Terminal 1 also features a new departure lounge designed by French designers Maxime Liautard and Hugo Toro, which reflects the ambiance of a Parisian bistro.
Collapsed Terminal 2E, June 2004Map of terminal 2 various halls
On 23 May 2004, shortly after the inauguration of terminal 2E, a portion of it collapsed near Gate E50, killing four people. Two of the dead were reported to be Chinese citizens, one Czech and the other Lebanese.
On 17 March 2005, ADP decided to tear down and rebuild the whole part of Terminal 2E (the "jetty") of which a section had collapsed, at a cost of approximately €100million.
Terminal 2, former display screenAir France aircraft on stands at Terminal 2F at Charles de Gaulle Airport
Recent terminal reassignments
Further, in April 2013, Terminal 2B closed for a complete renovation (with all airlines relocating to 2D) and received upgrades including the addition of a second floor completely dedicated to arrivals. Terminal 2B reopened on 2 June 2021. Airlines including the Lufthansa group, Aegean Airlines, easyJet, Icelandair, LOT Polish Airlines, Norwegian Air Shuttle, Play, Royal Air Maroc, and Scandinavian Airlines began operations at Terminal 2B until 2 December 2022, when the airlines except easyJet and Royal Air Maroc moved back to Terminal 1. Low-cost carrier easyJet has shown interest in being the sole carrier at 2B.[irrelevant citation] To facilitate connections, a new boarding area between 2A and 2C was opened in March 2012. It allows for all security and passport control to be handled in a single area, allows for many new shopping opportunities as well as new airline lounges, and eases transfer restrictions between 2A and 2C. Terminal 2D was closed during the pandemic and received the same upgrade including an additional floor. Terminal 2D reopened on 18 April 2023 and some airlines have moved operations to the terminal.
Terminal 3
This section is missing information about the history of Terminal 3. Please expand the section to include this information. Further details may exist on the talk page.(October 2026)
The airport's services during the pandemic were sharply reduced. On 30 March 2020, the airport announced it would temporarily close Terminals 1 and 3, moving all remaining flights to Terminal 2. Terminal 2D was also closed during the pandemic and only Terminals 2A, 2C, 2E, 2F and 2G were opened. At the beginning of the pandemic, airlines were grouped by alliances: Star Alliance airlines operated at Terminal 2A, where Air Canada and Ethiopian Airlines operated prior to the pandemic, Oneworld airlines shifted their operations to Terminal 2C, and SkyTeam airlines operated at Terminals 2E and 2F. Between December 2020 and June 2021, only Terminals 2E and 2F were opened with non-Schengen flights operating at Terminal 2E and Schengen flights operated at Terminal 2F. 2B reopened on 2 June 2021 and some airlines were shifted to that concourse. Terminals 2A, 2C and 2D were then reopened for more space. Between June 2021 and December 2022, Star Alliance airlines operated at Terminals 2A (non-Schengen) and 2B (Schengen), Oneworld airlines operated at Terminals 2C (non-Schengen) and 2D (Schengen) and SkyTeam airlines operated at Terminals 2E (non-Schengen), 2F and 2G (both Schengen). However, Star Alliance airlines flights to Asia except Singapore Airlines, who operated at Terminal 2A were operating at Terminal 2E due to the capacity restrictions at Terminal 2A. Terminal 3 reopened on 3 May 2022 for the use of all charter and low cost airlines. Terminal 1 remained closed for renovation at that time. It reopened on 1 December 2022 to reduce traffic at Terminal 2.
Cancelled project for Terminal 4
Plans for a new terminal, Terminal 4, were first announced in 2014. With an estimated cost of €9bn, the new terminal was to be built around 2025, when Charles de Gaulle Airport's maximum capacity of 80 million would have been reached. When constructed, the new terminal would have been able to accommodate 30–40 million passengers per year and would have likely been built north of Terminal 2E. However, the Terminal 4 proposal was cancelled in 2021 due to reduced traffic resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic and new environmental regulations making the project unfeasible. Environmentalist groups hailed the cancellation of the project as a "great victory."
Change of Terminal numbering from 16 March 2027
The airport authorities will renumber the terminals from the 16 March 2027. The renumbering will group some terminals together while removing the current situation whereby Terminal 2 has 7 subterminals (2A to 2G) while the other two terminals, 1 and 3, don't have any. From this date:
Terminal 1 will remain named Terminal 1
Terminal 3 will become Terminal 2
Terminals 2A and 2C will be grouped together as Terminal 3
Terminals 2B and 2D will be grouped together as Terminal 4
Terminal 2E will become Terminal 5
Terminal 2F will become Terminal 6
Terminal 2G will become Terminal 7
Tickets and boarding passes issued for flights after this date may already use the new names.
Roissypôle
Roissypôle is a complex consisting of office buildings, shopping areas, hotels, and a bus coach and RER B station within Charles de Gaulle Airport. The complex includes the head office of Air France, Continental Square, the Hilton Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport, and le Dôme building. Le Dôme includes the head office of Air France Consulting, an Air France subsidiary. Continental Square has the head office of Air France subsidiary Servair and the Air France Vaccinations Centre.
The airport's terminals are served by a free automated shuttle rail system, consisting of two lines (CDGVAL and LISA).
CDGVAL (Charles de Gaulle Véhicule Automatique Léger, English: Charles de Gaulle light automatic vehicle) links Terminal 1, parking lot PR, Aéroport Charles de Gaulle 1 RER station (located inside Roissypôle and next to Terminal 3), Parking lot PX, and the Aéroport Charles de Gaulle 2 TGV and RER station located between Terminals 2C, 2D, 2E, and 2F
LISA (Liaison Interne Satellite Aérogare, English: Connection internal satellite terminal) links Terminal 2E to the Satellite S3 (L Gates) and Satellite S4 (M Gates).
RER
Charles de Gaulle Airport is connected to central Paris by the RER B, a hybrid suburban commuter and rapid transit line. The service has two stations on the airport grounds:
Aéroport Charles de Gaulle 1 station, located inside Roissypôle and next to Terminal 3. The station provides the fastest access to Terminal 1 via a connection on CDGVAL.
The RER B has historically suffered from slowness and overcrowding, so French authorities are building CDG Express, a train service that will operate non-stop from Charles de Gaulle Airport to Paris Gare de l'Est railway station (next to Gare du Nord) starting on 28 March 2027. It will share some of the same tracks, and is expected to offer a 20-minute non-stop ride every half hour from 5am to midnight. The new line is expected to take airline customers off RER B, making room for local passengers, and divert to rail 15% of automobile trips to the airport.
"Magical Shuttle" offers express service between Disneyland Paris and Charles de Gaulle airport, stopping at Terminal 1 and Terminal 2E/2F.
"Parc Astérix Shuttle" offers express service between Parc Astérix and Charles de Gaulle airport, stopping at Terminal 3 (Roissypôle).
Transdev bus 9517 offers express service between Gare d'Argenteuil and Charles de Gaulle airport, stopping at Terminal 3 (Roissypôle).
Transdev bus 350 offers local service between Porte de la Chapelle in Paris and Charles de Gaulle airport, stopping at all terminals (except 2G) and other areas of the airport.
Transdev bus 351 offers local service between Nation in Paris and Charles de Gaulle airport, stopping at all terminals (except 2G) and other areas of the airport.
Noctilien bus N140 offers local service during the overnight hours between Gare de l'Est in Paris and Charles de Gaulle airport, stopping at all terminals (except 2G) and other areas of the airport.
Noctilien bus N143 offers local service during the overnight hours between Gare de l'Est in Paris and Charles de Gaulle airport, stopping at all terminals (except 2G) and other areas of the airport.
Several low-cost airlines also advertise Beauvais–Tillé Airport and Châlons Vatry Airport, respectively 85 kilometres (53mi) and 165 kilometres (103mi) from Paris proper, as serving "Paris" with Paris–Beauvais and Paris–Vatry. Beauvais airport has no railway connections, but there is a shuttle bus to central Paris 15 times daily.[citation needed]
Reception
Charles de Gaulle Airport has the reputation of being one of Europe's worst airports regarding missed connections, delayed flights, passenger experience, and lost luggage.
Accidents and incidents
On 6 January 1993, Lufthansa Flight 5634 from Bremen to Paris, which was carried out under the Lufthansa CityLine brand using a Contact AirDash 8–300 (registered D-BEAT), hit the ground 1,800 metres (5,900ft) short of the runway of Charles de Gaulle Airport, resulting in the death of four out of the 23 passengers on board. The four crew members survived. The accident occurred after the pilot had to abort the final approach to the airport because the runway had been closed: the aircraft immediately ahead, a Korean AirBoeing 747, had lost an engine pod upon landing.
On 25 July 2000, a Concorde, Air France Flight 4590 from Charles de Gaulle to John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York, crashed into Les Relais Bleus Hotel in Gonesse, killing all 109 people on the aircraft and four people on the ground. Investigations concluded that a tire burst during take-off roll, after running over a metal strip on the runway that had detached from a McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30 operating as Continental Airlines Flight 55, which departed shortly before, leading to a ruptured fuel tank and resulting in engine failure and other damage. Concorde was conducting a charter flight for a German tour company.[citation needed]
On 5 November 2000, a Boeing 747-200 operating as Cameroon Airlines Flight 070 from Douala International Airport, veered off the runway on landing, causing the nose gear to be ripped off. The thrust lever for the no. 1 engine was not moved to idle on touchdown, and then was inadvertently moved forward, creating uneven thrust and preventing the automatic braking systems from activating. The 203 occupants were evacuated, and the aircraft was written off.
Réseau Express Régional:
Aéroport Charles de Gaulle 1 station
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