Bordeaux Airport begins construction of its new central building

Bordeaux Airport has begun construction of a new central building between Halls A and B, designed around a completely redesigned passenger journey. The building will bring together reception areas, security screening facilities, waiting areas and retail outlets, baggage sorting and reclaim facilities, as well as operational facilities and offices. A cornerstone of the airport’s transformation programme, representing a total investment of €140 million excluding VAT across all projects, the building has been designed by enia architectes. The architects have favoured a restrained, coherent design, prioritising comfort for passengers and staff alike, as well as the flexibility to accommodate future needs.

The new facilities will gradually take shape from 2027, incorporating next-generation security screening and baggage handling equipment. The objectives of this modernisation are to improve the organisation of airport facilities, enhance comfort and passenger flows, and meet the highest European airport standards. The aim is to make Bordeaux Airport an asset for the region’s competitiveness and an international benchmark.

Bordeaux Airport is determined to achieve these ambitions while meeting the commitments of its strategic plan: staying on track with its decarbonisation targets, maintaining excellent standards of service quality and punctuality, and preserving the airport’s human scale.

“Rather than setting different eras against one another, the project brings them together to create a coherent whole and, ultimately, a new identity,”  explains Simon Pallubicki, Partner and Co-founder of enia architectes.

The centrepiece of the transformation programme

With a construction budget of €70 million excluding VAT, the new central building will provide a single point of access to the departure lounges. Extending over four levels, it will accommodate a 3,000 sq m security screening area equipped with five screening lanes, a 5,000 sq m central plaza dedicated to waiting areas and retail outlets, a single 4,200 sq m baggage reclaim hall, and new workspaces for airport teams. The new façade will become visible in late summer 2027.

Designed by enia architectes, the building adopts a restrained approach to architectural form and materials, creating a coherent overall design. The emphasis is on the quality of the spaces, comfort and functionality, in line with the standards of Europe’s leading airports. The design also reflects the increasingly stringent security requirements and greater passenger autonomy, supported by digital information, that have developed over the past 20 years.

At the same time, the building has been designed with future development in mind, allowing the airport to accommodate new airlines, from low-cost to premium carriers, with differing requirements and service offerings. While the central building is a major component of the project, the wider transformation programme also includes new facilities in both existing halls: 10 additional check-in desks, reconfigured departure lounges, a new baggage handling system and improvements to border control areas.

A responsible project delivering benefits to the region

Bordeaux Airport’s transformation programme forms part of a sustainability strategy launched in 2022, which is already delivering results in terms of decarbonisation**. With no additional soil sealing, the building project is targeting Excellent-level certification under the HQE Bâtiment Durable (Sustainable Building) standard, version 4.1, for both the design and construction phases. This voluntary certification process is subject to independent third-party verification.

Key measures include: 

• Using local supply chains for construction and materials procurement wherever possible (including the fabrication and assembly of steel reinforcement in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, and the sourcing of sand and gravel for concrete from local suppliers).
• Managing greenhouse gas emissions through the installation of 3,000 sq m of rooftop photovoltaic panels generating electricity for on-site consumption, with an estimated annual output of 730 MWh (covering nearly 20% of the central building’s operational energy needs, equivalent to the consumption of 80 four-person households). For heating, the project will benefit from ongoing measures to decarbonise our centralised heat production, including on-site geothermal energy and plans to connect to the future Aéroparc district heating network being developed by Bordeaux Métropole.
• Taking account of the need to adapt to climate change by anticipating rising outdoor temperatures while maintaining appropriate thermal comfort, notably through façade treatments designed to optimise natural daylight while reducing heat gain during the summer months. Rainwater will also be collected for reuse in applications that do not require drinking water.

In addition, financing for the entire transformation programme, provided by the airport and a consortium of regional banks, carries an interest rate linked to CSR objectives.

Infrastructure serving the wider region

As a gateway to the region and a driver of its attractiveness, Bordeaux Airport supports more than 8,000 jobs based on the airport site and hosts strategic industrial projects. The airport also plays a role in the public interest, as demonstrated during wildfire emergencies and through its support for public services. The transformation programme is already generating direct economic benefits. Up to 300 skilled tradespeople will be working on site at the peak of construction, while contracts are being awarded to local businesses, including major construction companies and SMEs. A tender process for future retail and food and beverage operators will be launched in the second half of 2027.

“The airport must be seen as more than simply a place people fly from to go on holiday: it is vital infrastructure for the entire region. The airport continues to learn and adapt. This project represents another step in that process, neither the beginning of a new direction nor its culmination,” says Simon Dreschel, Chairman of the Management Board of Bordeaux Airport.

Enhanced passenger information and a phased opening

Preserving Bordeaux Airport’s defining characteristics — punctuality and human scale — remains a priority at a time when standards of comfort, security, screening procedures and retail facilities need to be raised. This is the central challenge of the transformation programme. The first visible milestone will come in summer 2027, with the new landside façade. In early 2028, passengers will benefit from a redesigned departures journey, including 10 additional check-in desks and a new check-in area in Hall B, the first lanes of a more efficient security screening facility and connected baggage reclaim areas. This will be followed, in late 2028, by the reconfiguration of Hall B’s departure lounges. By summer 2029, the entire single security screening facility serving both halls will be operational, alongside the first retail outlets in the central plaza. The central building will be completed by the end of 2029, when the full range of new facilities will be available to passengers and airport professionals.

Once the transformation is complete, 70% of the airport’s services will be located airside, beyond security screening, compared with 30% today. This will provide a more pleasant waiting experience for departing passengers. Airport employees and partners will also benefit from modernised working facilities, including new offices and operational areas, changing rooms, workshops and staff facilities. The airport will maintain 100% of its operations throughout the works, with passenger information a key priority over the next three years. A conversational assistant accessible via QR code, a dedicated website (changeonsdhorizon.bordeaux.aeroport.fr) and enhanced signage are already in place to provide clear information about access arrangements at every stage.

“New spaces will open regularly, delivering improvements and benefits throughout the transformation programme. We never lose sight of what matters most: ensuring a smooth, stress-free journey for every passenger and everyone using the airport,” explains Jean Chadoutaud, Director of Engineering and Technical Services at Bordeaux Airport.

“Bordeaux is a dynamic region with a strong identity, and its airport should be a showcase for it. This is much more a modernisation project than an expansion. We want to provide a better welcome for everyone who uses the airport every day, while offering passengers more services, greater peace of mind and a more comfortable travel experience,” says Simon Dreschel, Chairman of the Management Board of Bordeaux Airport.

* The recently refurbished Billi terminal is not included in this programme.

** Continuous improvement – Decarbonisation progress
Final energy consumption fell by 19% between 2019 and 2025; since late 2025, geothermal energy has been progressively scaled up, with the aim of eventually meeting 40% of heating requirements and 63% of cooling requirements; electricity now accounts for 79% of the airport’s energy mix; by the end of 2026, 29 aircraft stands will be electrified, providing aircraft with 400 Hz ground power connections and electrically powered pre-conditioned air (PCA) systems, eliminating the need for fuel-powered generators; forthcoming works will see the installation of 38,200 sq m of photovoltaic canopies at the P4 car park, followed by an additional 12,500 sq m at P2; an incentive scheme for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) will be introduced to encourage airlines operating at Bordeaux Airport to increase its use