Aéroports de Paris and Air France develop Paris Charles de Gaulle hub

France's Aéroports de Paris and Air France announced (30-Mar-2012) plans to develop its Paris Charles de Gaulle hub, with the two companies to open the new satellite 4 and the new departure lounge at Terminal 2E in 2012 as part of the collaborative Hub 2012 programme. Representing an investment of EUR580 million, satellite 4 will be dedicated to long-haul services and wide-bodied aircraft and will accommodate up to 7.8 million passengers. This new boarding satellite will enable Air France to concentrate its activities to the east of the hub, in terminals 2E, 2F and 2G. In the long-term, the Paris CDG hub will be able to accommodate close to 42 million passengers p/a (compared with 34 million passengers in 2010). At the end of 2012, terminal F will be reconfigured to accommodate only flights dedicated to European traffic. Passengers from the Schengen area will use dedicated easier and faster connecting channels. From summer 2012, satellite 4 will accommodate a lounge for Air France's business class customers with a surface area of over 3000sqm. Before the end of the year, satellite 4 will see the launch of an airside service area of 4500sqm located in the 'Galerie Parisienne' (satellite 3). This will be dedicated to connecting passengers and will include a hotel. [more - original PR]