International airport operator ADP Group does not intend to relive the horrors of the summer of 2022. Back then, overwhelmed by the sudden surge in air travel after the Covid-19 pandemic, the company was unable to prevent endless lines of exhausted tourists at airport border checkpoints.

From the end of July, Roissy-Charles-de-Gaulle (CDG) and Orly will form the two main gateways to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games (July 26-August 11) and Paralympic Games (August 28-September 8). Indeed, the vast majority of athletes, their equipment and foreign delegations will reach the French capital by air. These two airports will therefore be France's first showcase.

"These Olympic Games are the first positive event after the Covid crisis. We want to make them a source of pride," said Renaud Duplay, ADP Group's deputy director general in charge of the Games. In the run-up to the opening ceremony, the operator of the two airport platforms has said it is ready for the event, as confirmed by the national trade union center, CGT. "As far as organization is concerned, it's not too bad," said CGT-ADP General Secretary Daniel Bertone.

For ADP, the serious business will begin on July 18, the opening day of the Olympic Village, with the landing of the first Olympic guests. According to their figures, a total of nearly 64,000 accredited guests – athletes, official delegation members and journalists – have already made plans to arrive and depart via CDG and Orly for the two competitions.

It's a challenge that should be put into perspective. Under normal circumstances, approximately 200,000 and 110,000 passengers pass through the two airports on the outskirts of Paris daily, respectively. So, it's not so much the large number of accredited passengers passing through Roissy (52,000) or Orly (12,000) that's making ADP Group teams sweat, but rather the concentration of these passengers over a few days.

"For us, the big dates lie outside the event," explained Duplay. In other words, before the start of the events, or at the end. According to him, the highlight comes after the Games, "on August 12, with the first big departure of athletes." Based on flight bookings, some 13,000 athletes will depart from Roissy on the day after the closing ceremony. ADP Group has already anticipated that, for the most part, departures should be concentrated "over two to three days" before August 15.

In addition to athletes, ADP teams are above all else focused on managing baggages. Suitcases and parcels will be divided according to three criteria: full-size (which can be handled normally), oversized (which must be handled manually but can be scanned by security checkpoints) and large equipment, such as poles, which require inspection by dog handlers.

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