Bordeaux Airport Aéroport de Bordeaux
IATA: BOD – ICAO: LFBD
Summary
Airport type		Public / Military
Serves		Bordeaux, France
Location		Mérignac, France
Elevation AMSL		162 ft / 49 m
Coordinates		44°49′42″N 000°42′56″W / 44.82833°N 0.71556°W / 44.82833; -0.71556Coordinates: 44°49′42″N 000°42′56″W / 44.82833°N 0.71556°W / 44.82833; -0.71556
Website		www.bordeaux.aeroport.fr
Runways
Direction	Length		Surface
	m	ft
05/23	3,100	10,171	Asphalt
11/29	2,415	7,923	Asphalt
Source: French AIP

Bordeaux Airport (French: Aéroport de Bordeaux) (IATA: BOD, ICAO: LFBD) is an airport serving the French city of Bordeaux. It is located in the town of Mérignac, 6 miles (10 km) west of Bordeaux, within the département of Gironde. In 2009, the airport served 3,300,000 passengers, making it the 6th busiest airport in France in terms of passengers.

The airport operates on a three hall basis, within a single terminal.

It's accessible by :

• Road : Rocade 11b
• Public Transport :
  • Jet'Bus shuttle serving the Bordeaux Saint-Jean railway station
  • Bus line 1 serving the city center.

In the medium-term, there are plans for the tramway system to link the airport with the city centre.

In addition to almost a flight per hour to Paris and daily flights to the major French cities, the airport offers daily and weekly flights to a large number of European and international destinations.

General Charles de Gaulle took off from the airport to travel to London in 1940. The following day he made the call of June 18th (Appeal of 18 June).

During the early years of the Cold War, Bordeaux-Mérignac was a front-line NATO facility for the United States Air Forces in Europe (USAFE). As well as its civil use, the French Air Force designated Mérignac Air Base BA 106, and it has been used in its strategic air force.

As a consequence of the temporary closure of the Cazaux military base, the civil authorities have been forced to share the runway with the French Army since November 2005.

History

Bordeaux Mérignac's origins begin in 1917, when a joint civilian/military air field was established there. The facility was a major hub for Air France, flying from Bordeaux to various destinations in Europe and North Africa. Military uses by the French Air Force was as a training center and also as a bomber base.

During World War II the German Luftwaffe took control of the base and used it as a center for maritime reconnaissance. Focke-Wulf Fw-200 "Condor" and Heinkel He 177 aircraft flew from the base roaming the Atlantic Ocean looking for Allied shipping.

The United States Army Air Force 8th Air Force and the Royal Air Force attacked the base in 1943.

After the war Air France resumed commercial operations out of Mérignac and the re-established French Air Force returned to use the facility.

In 1951 Mérignac was turned over to NATO for use by the United States Air Force. Construction of a modern air base suitable for jet aircraft began on 1 August. Much evidence of the war remained with many warning signs still in German, scattered munitions around the facility; the perimeter was still mined; large quantities of practice bombs, and destroyed hangars and other buildings as a result of Allied air raids.

On 1 October 1958, Bordeaux-Mérignac Air Base was closed to reduce USAFE expenses and manpower. All ongoing activities were moved to the NATO Chateauroux-Deols Air Base in central France. The U. S. Army operated a logistics facility at Mérignac for a few years, but ended their activities in 1961 and the entire facility was returned to French control.

Terminals, airlines and destinations

Mérignac airport has one terminal, with two halls (A and B). A third - Billi - recently opened in May 2010.

View of the airport

Cargo airlines

The content above was published at Airports-Worldwide.com in 2010.
We don't guarantee the information is fresh and accurate. The data may be wrong or outdated.
For more up-to-date information please refer to other sources.