Chateauroux airport, France: French industrial airport turns away idled planes

France's Chateauroux airport, about 250 kilometres south of Paris, has built up a steady business over the years as a hub for freight aircraft and centre to train pilots, helped by its clear weather and few foggy days. Yet in recent months, the former NATO military base has been generating revenue from a different source: The parking of jets grounded by the covid-19 pandemic. The single-runway airport located in France's flat, central basin has even turned away airlines seeking to store more planes - a sign the global aviation slump is deeply set despite some easing of travel restrictions. With the arrival of eight additional aircraft during the past week alone, Chateauroux is at close to full capacity, according to the hub's director, Didier Lefresne. As many as 50 jets are now stored on its parking spaces and two newly-dedicated taxiways, with manufacturer Airbus and BA among the biggest customers. Chateauroux's windfall mirrors the decline of the wider industry, which has been plunged into crisis by the impact of the coronavirus. Airlines have been forced to ground aircraft worldwide after demand from passengers slumped, with border closures and quarantine measures hampering traffic between key markets such as Europe and the US One third of the global plane fleet remains in storage, according to aviation database Cirium. "From a financial standpoint, it's a good thing for Chateauroux," Lefresne said. "At the same time, it's very sad and reflects the dramatic situation unfolding in the industry." <br/>