Lyon-Saint Exupéry Airport

Lyon-Saint Exupéry Airport (French: Aéroport Lyon Saint-Exupéry) (IATA: LYS, ICAO: LFLL), formerly known as Lyon Satolas Airport, is one of the two airports located in the agglomeration of Lyon, France. The airport is named after the French writer and pilot Antoine de Saint Exupéry, a native of Lyon. The airport lies in Colombier-Saugnieu, 11 NM (20 km; 13 mi) east southeast of Lyon city centre. Its two runways are aligned north-south. It is an important transport facility for the entire Rhône-Alpes region. Coach links connect the airport with the centre of Lyon and other towns in the area including Chambéry and Grenoble. Railway transport in the form of Rhônexpress began in August 2010 and links the TGV rail station of Lyon Part-Dieu with the Gare de Lyon Saint-Exupéry in less than 30 minutes. The airport was inaugurated by President Valéry Giscard d'Estaing on 12 April 1975 and opened to passengers a week later. It was designed to replace the old Lyon-Bron Airport which could not be extended as it was located in an urban area.

In 1994 the LGV Rhône-Alpes high-speed rail line brought TGV service to the airport, providing direct trains to Paris and Marseille. The fan-shaped canopy of the Gare de Lyon Saint-Exupéry, designed by architect Santiago Calatrava, is the airport's most notable architectural feature. Originally named Lyon Satolas Airport, in 2000 the airport and train station were renamed in honour of Lyonnais aviation pioneer and writer Antoine de Saint Exupéry. Since 1997, the airport is a major regional hub for the airline Air France. In 2009, the airport served 7,717,609 passengers, making it France's fourth busiest airport after Charles de Gaulle, Orly and Nice airports.