International private airport operator Vinci Airports began the management of France’s Annecy Mont-Blanc Airport on January 1, following the signing in July of a 15-year agreement with the local Haute-Savoie government. The company—which now operates 46 airports in 12 countries in Europe, Asia, and the Americas—will manage a €10 million ($11.35 million) renovation program at the French airport co-funded with the local authority.
It will include rehabilitation of the 6,600-foot runway, as well as a major renovation of the terminal to accommodate private events and local activities. Vinci’s environmental action plan includes improved insulation for the building, installation of solar power generating equipment, converting to LED lighting throughout the facility, and switching from fossil-fuel to electric runway equipment. The operator will also install charging stations for electric vehicles.
“Annecy Mont-Blanc Airport specializes in both business aviation and leisure travel and plays a key role in boosting the appeal of the North Alpine region,” said Nicolas Notebaert, CEO of Vinci Concessions and chairman of its airports division. He added that his company, with its strong environmental ambitions, will demonstrate its expertise in making aviation more sustainable, working closely with the airport and the surrounding area.