Lyon–Saint Exupéry Airport
Lyon–Saint Exupéry Airport, or LYS to the IATA and LFLL to the ICAO, is the international airport for Lyon. Furthermore, it is an important transport hub for the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region. It is owned and operated by the Aéroports de Lyon (Vinci SA-Caisse des dépôts consortium). It is a focus city for Air France, Air France Hop, easyJet, Transavia France, and Twin Jet. In 2019 there were 11,739,600 passengers served. There are two runways: 17R/35L, which is 13,123 feet (asphalt), and 17L/35R, 8,760 feet (asphalt).
Airport history
LYS originally opened in April 1975 as Lyon-Satolas Airport, taking over commercial aviation services from the old Lyon-Brun airport.
Direct trains to Paris and Marseille were established in 1994 via the LGV Rhône-Alpes high-speed line, and in 1997 LYS became a focus city for Air France.
The airport was renamed in 2000 in honor of local aviation pioneer and writer Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, who had died in WWII (having already been a laureate of the Grand Prix de roman de l’Académie française in his lifetime). Terminal 1 was expanded in 2014, with the additions completed in June 2018. At the time of the expansion, the old Terminal 3 was demolished.
Airport location
The airport is located in Colombier-Saugnieu, 13 miles southeast of Lyon's city center.
Airport facts
- The airport's most notable architectural feature is the fan-shaped canopy of the Gare de Lyon de Saint-Exupéry, designed by architect Santiago Calatrava.
- Several hotels are on the airport grounds, most notably the NH Lyon Airport Hotel.
- Tere is a VIP Lounge in Terminal 1, offering catering, beverages, and high-speed WiFi.
- FBOs at LYS include SPACE and Aviapartner Executive.
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What to dress for
Lyon forecast