Montpellier Airport (MPL)

Montpellier Airport is a public establishment in southern France, and is one of the most important airports of the country. It is the largest in its region, and is ranked as the tenth busiest in terms of passenger traffic. Many commonly refer to the airport as the Fréjorgues, while its official name is the Montpellier-Méditerranée, due to its location alongside the Mediterranean coastline. It is also recognised by its official IATA code of MPL, and its ICAO code is listed as LFMT. Arriving and departing passengers will be impressed by the its modern and efficient facilities, and those leaving the city have a wide choice of airline companies which fly to local and international destinations.

The airport serves the city of the same name, as well as many other towns in the Hérault department. Montpellier is the capital city of the department, and the primary city of the famous Languedoc Roussillon region of France. This area is rated as third in the country for tourism as it offers a superb array of attractions, from golden beaches to ski resorts, as well as rivers, twenty-two marinas and the largest area of vineyards in the country. The cities and towns of the region each have their own charming characteristics, and unique historical and architectural sights. Modern attractions are popular as well, for example, shopping, dining and nightlife activities. MPL is well positioned just 7km from the city centre, and nearby the A9, which is the main access road.

Departing passengers can easily drive from the city, or from many of the main areas nearby. Larger cities within an hour and a half’s drive include Nimes and Arles to the north-east and Beziers and Narbonne to the south-west. Montpellier airport is also very nearby Mauguio, Lunel, Lattes, Frontignan and Sète. Alternative ways to reach it are by bus and taxi. Buses depart at times which correspond to the flights from the Place de l’Europe, and taxis are available from all locations nearby. There is no train station on site. Buses and taxis are available for arriving passengers as well.

In 2010, Montpellier airport handled just over 1.180 million passengers. The majority of the people passing through the airport are national travellers, but a significant number are international as well. One of the busiest years was 2006, with over 1.3 million passengers, but since then, traffic has declined somewhat. However, the destination is expected to have a greater number of passengers in the years to come. The airline carriers serve over fifty worldwide destinations, and offer scheduled and seasonal flights. Some of the airline companies present include Air France, Air Algérie, Air France operated by Brit Air and Régional, Lufthansa operated by Lufthansa CityLine, Ryanair, Easyjet, Air Arabia Maroc, Iberia and Transavia.com. Domestic locations served by these airlines include Paris, Rennes, Strasbourg, Lyon and Nantes, while other destinations include Casablanca, Bastia, Copenhagen, London, Birmingham, Leeds/Bradford, Munich, Brussels South-Charleroi, Rotterdam, Algiers, Madrid and Tangier.

The airport of Montpellier dates back to 1938, when the first plane landed at Fréjorgues. After World War II the first terminal building opened for civil use, and regular flights were operated to various destinations. The number of passengers at MPL grew, and by 1990, it reached the one million mark. It was also around this time that the airport received a new terminal building, covering an area of 1.4 hectares, and was equipped with three loading bridges and two pre-loading bridges for access to the planes. In 1994, the Fréjorgues Airport became officially known as the Montpellier-Méditerranée, and by 1998, over 1.5 million passengers were using its services. However, after the next successful year of 1.75 million passengers, traffic decreased considerably, due to the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Centre, and the general public’s fear of flight which had a huge impact on many of the world’s air traffic locations. Passenger traffic in 2001 dropped to 1.545 million, and continued to decrease in the years to follow.

Although passenger traffic has dropped considerably in the twenty-first century, Montpellier Airport is still considered as a very important in France, and today has two terminal buildings, with arrival and departure areas. The boarding lounges are found on the upper level, while arriving passengers will enter the building on the ground floor. It is extremely well equipped for the needs of its passengers, with shops and restaurants, a business centre, ATMs, travel agencies, car hire companies, information desks, WiFi services, showers and a nursery and public telephones. The business centre is ideal for all kinds of functions, with meeting rooms of various sizes. Large car parking areas are available as well, two for short-term stays and one for longer stays, and a total of 2,400 spaces. The airport is also equipped to welcome disabled passengers.

There are two runways at Montpellier. One is longer and able to accommodate aircraft of the larger variety, while the second is a little shorter. Track 1 is 2,600 metres in length and 50 metres wide, while Track 2 is 1,200 metres in length and 30 metres wide. Both are asphalt runways.

Montpellier Airport information is available from the general enquiry desks within the terminal, or passengers can telephone at 04 67 20 85 00.

The Air Transport Association (IATA) code for the airport is MPL. The other name it is recognized by is Montpellier Méditerranée. We have provided the GPS location which are as follows 43.58333, 3.96667 to help either your arrival directions to Méditerranée or perhaps give you directions from Méditerranée to your chosen destination.

You can see below a selection of nonstop flights covered from Montpellier Airport with approximate times.