Nantes Airport Departures (NTE)

Nantes Airport is a public establishment operated by CCI de Nantes, and is the largest airport to the west of France, with a capacity for three million passengers per annum. It is also known as the Nantes Atlantique Airport, with the official code of NTE, and is located just 8km, or 5 miles to the southwest of central Nantes. A number of airline companies offer domestic and international departures from the airport, and passengers are welcomed by a wide variety of facilities for their needs. Nantes departures mainly take place from the upper floor of the single terminal building.

The airport, in the Pays de la Loire region of France, is well served by a variety of transport options and is linked to major motorways, therefore departing passengers can easily arrive in good time for their departure flight. The special bus service available to the airport is known as the Tan Air Shuttle, operated by the Tan public transport network of Nantes, and is scheduled to coincide with all flights from the airport. The bus is available from the Nantes Train Station and the bus station in the city centre of Nantes, and is a most convenient way to travel. Another bus also travels from Neustrie, from an area that is connected to the city’s tramway Line 3, and is referred to as the Tan local bus No. 37. Passengers arriving by train will have to reach their departure flight by shuttle bus, as there is no train station on the airport grounds. Taxis are available from all urban areas of Nantes and Saint-Nazaire as well.

Passengers arriving in their own vehicles will find plenty of parking options, and can easily reach the airport via the city’s peripheral ring motorway and the D85, which is the airport’s access road. All major roads from other nearby towns and cities connect to the Nantes ring motorway (N844 or E3) as well. From Nantes city, the drive to the airport should only be about ten to twenty minutes, depending on your starting location. Once at the airport, departing passengers will find a single terminal building, which is in an ‘L’ shape. It is divided into four halls, with Halls 1 to 3 down the longest of the ‘L’s’ side, and Hall 4 on the shorter side. Hall 4 is connected to the other halls by a lobby area, and is just a single-storey building, whereas the longer part of the airport is a two-level construction. Passengers will check-in with their airline company on the ground floor of Halls 1 to 3, and will find their departure loungers on the upper floor.

Certain airline companies may offer the option of online check-in via their websites, or even allow check-in from a mobile phone. These options depend on the airline company used. Check-in at the airport will close twenty minutes before scheduled national flights, half an hour before scheduled international flights, forty minutes before Ryanair flights and at the times indicated on the airline ticket for all holiday charter flights. Passengers should therefore arrive at the airport at least an hour or two before their flight is scheduled to leave.

The airline companies of Air France, Eastern Airways, EasyJet, Ryanair, Transavia.com, Royal Air Maroc and Tunisair mainly offer Nantes Airport departures. Some destinations served in France include Toulouse, Bordeaux, Marseille, Lyon, Nice, Paris-Orly, Lille and Montpellier, while Spanish destinations include Madrid, Malaga, Seville, Barcelona and Palma de Mallorca. There are also flights available to Portugal and Greece, to the island of Heraklion. Air Transat offers long-haul flights to Toronto-Pearson and Montreal-Trudeau, and a variety of flights serve the United Kingdom as well, landing at airports such as London-Gatwick, London-City and Manchester. Italian flight departures take passengers to Palermo, Milan-Malpensa and Catania.

Passengers on Nantes departure flights should ensure that their luggage meets the maximum size and weight restrictions as set by their airline company, and that it does not contain any items that are not permitted on board aircraft. The new regulations surrounding the carrying of liquids in hand luggage are applicable to passengers at the airport, therefore try to pack as many of these items as possible in hold luggage. You are only allowed a total quantity of one litre of liquids in hand luggage, and each liquid will need to be separately carried in containers of no more than 100ml each. The containers will need to be presented to security control in a re-sealable plastic bag, which can often be obtained from vending machines at airports. The exceptions to the rule are baby food and baby milk required for the duration of the flight, as well as any special dietary foods required. Medicines are also not included in the new regulations, but should be accompanied by a subscription if possible.

In general, an economy class airline ticket will allow a person up to 20kg of hold luggage, while a first class ticket will allow up to 30kg of luggage per person. Always ensure that your luggage is clearly marked, inside and out, with your name, surname and address, and never carry luggage on board for anyone you don’t know. Also never leave your bags unattended, and report any suspicious-looking items in the airport that have been abandoned.

Facilities at the airport include an interesting variety of shops, bars and restaurants, currency exchange services, cash dispensers, a post box and a self-service photo booth. Business clients can arrange one of the rooms available for hire, ranging in sizes to suit between 100 and 6 people. Equipment can be requested for use within the rooms, and catering services are available. Disabled passengers on Nantes departure flights will also find the terminal to be completely accessible, and can request further assistance from their airline company.