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French seaside resort to rename airport in honour of Queen Elizabeth II

A well-known coastal resort in northern France is considering changing the name of its airport in honour of Queen Elizabeth II.

French seaside resort to rename airport in honour of Queen Elizabeth II
The beach at Le Touquet. (Photo: Ludovic Marin / AFP)

Le Touquet, in the Pas-de-Calais département, announced that it intends to rename its airport after the British Queen, who died on September 8th aged 96.

READ ALSO ‘The French are also in mourning’: France pays tribute to Queen Elizabeth II

The resort’s airport, which caters for private tourist and business flights, was built in the 1930s “to accommodate the planes of British customers”, the local authority said in a press statement.

For a short period, in the early 1950s, it was the third busiest airport in France for passengers, behind Nice and Paris-Orly. 

The proposal to change the airport’s name will be on the agenda at the next council meeting on October 24th.

Brigitte Macron, the wife of President Emmanuel Macron, owns a property in the town, where the couple often spend time.

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TRAVEL NEWS

France’s SNCF to offer high-speed passenger links in Italy

French national rail operator SNCF said on Wednesday it planned to offer high-speed passenger services in neighbouring Italy from 2026, competing with rival Trenitalia on its home turf.

France's SNCF to offer high-speed passenger links in Italy

“Italy is a natural market for high speed, with 56 million passengers per year,” said Alain Krakovitch, head of intercity TGV (high-speed train) services at SNCF Voyageurs.

“But it’s a market that’s yet to mature, with many passengers still to bring in.”

SNCF plans eventually to offer nine daily return services between Turin, Milan, Rome and Naples, as well as four Turin-Venice trains.

The French heavyweight moved into Spain with intercity services in 2021, and has seen Trenitalia itself look to pick up business in France on the profitable Paris-Lyon line.

SNCF hopes to claim 15 percent of the Italian high-speed market within a decade, or 10 million passengers per year.

In Spain, it has built its passenger base to 20 percent with its low-cost Ouigo service.

European business already accounts for one-third of SNCF’s annual high-speed revenues, or €3 billion.

The publicly owned firm is also responding to explosive demand for rail travel at home in France.

READ MORE: MAP: Where high-speed trains can take you in France

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