Nice-Côte d'Azur Airport
Facts on NCE
Nice Côte d'Azur Airport sits just 4 metres above sea level at the western end of the Promenade des Anglais, about 6 kilometres from Nice's city centre.
Source: Wikipedia
Nice's airport opened to public air traffic in 1946 under the name 'Nice - Le Var'; it was renamed 'Nice Côte d'Azur' in 1955, adopting the name of the coastal region it serves.
The second half of the airport's name, 'Côte d'Azur' ('Azure Coast'), was coined by writer Stéphen Liégeard in his book La Côte d'Azur, published in December 1887; Liégeard, born in the Côte-d'Or department, adapted his home region's name by swapping its 'gold' for the sea's 'azure' blue.
Source: Wikipedia - French Riviera
The airport has two asphalt-concrete runways, 04L/22R at 2,570 metres and 04R/22L at 2,960 metres, plus two helipads each just over 29 metres long, according to French aeronautical data.
Source: Wikipedia
In 2025 Nice handled 15.23 million passengers, making it France's third-busiest airport; it serves as a focus city for Air France and an operating base for easyJet.
Source: Wikipedia
Because Monaco has no airport of its own and lies just 20 kilometres away, Nice Côte d'Azur functions as the principality's de facto gateway, with helicopter transfers linking the two.
Source: Wikipedia
In 1969 the airport briefly hosted an experimental hovercraft service: two Naviplane N.300 craft connected it by sea to Cannes, Saint-Tropez, Monaco and San Remo before the venture folded.
Source: Wikipedia
On 11 September 1968, Air France Flight 1611 crashed into the Mediterranean just off Nice while approaching from Ajaccio, killing all 95 people aboard; a memorial near the airport commemorates the disaster.
Source: Wikipedia
The airport's Business Aviation Terminal, opened in 2010 next to Terminal 2, covers 1,500 square metres and houses operations rooms, VIP and crew lounges, and offices for several business-aviation companies.
Source: Wikipedia
Since December 2018, Nice's tramway line 2 has linked the airport to the city's old port, with trams running every 8 minutes during the day via the Grand Arénas interchange.
Source: Wikipedia