Biarritz Airport (BIQ)

Biarritz Airport is located approximately 5km, or 3 miles to the southeast of Biarritz, and is also particularly nearby the large towns of Anglet and Bayonne. For this reason, its official name is the Biarritz-Anglet-Bayonne, and it is recognised by its official code of BIQ. It is also commonly referred to as the Parme, and is an important gateway for the south-western region of the country. A number of airline companies serve the destination, and around one million passengers pass through the terminal building each year. The airport is also a modern construction, with various facilities for its arriving and departing passengers.

The Biarritz serves the Aquitaine region of France, and its area of influence includes the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department, the Landes department and part of the province of Guipuzcoa in Spain, as it is located just 11 miles, or 18km from the border of this country. The airport also lies on the Bay of Biscay, at the south-western coastline of France. The main access road is the D810, or the Av. d’Espagne, providing access to Anglet, as well as to the A63, which is one of the larger roads nearby the towns in this region, while the D260 leads to various areas in Biarritz. Prominent towns and cities nearby Biarritz airport include Dax and Mont-de-Marsan to the north, Orthez and Tarbes to the east and Hendaye to the south. The area of Biarritz is considered as the last main holiday resort of France before the Spanish border, and is an important gateway for many tourists throughout the year.

Biarritz Airport, although only of medium size, is served by several airline companies, of which Ryanair handles the majority of destinations. This airline travels to London-Stansted throughout the year, and to Brussels-South-Charleroi, Dublin, Manchester and Stockholm-Skavsta during the busier season. Air France offers domestic flights to Marseille and Lyon, as well as seasonal flights to Geneva and Nice, and EasyJet serves the destinations of Paris-Charles de Gaulle and London-Gatwick. Another airline available is Transavia.com, with seasonal flights to Rotterdam.

In 2010, BIQ handled just under a million passengers (989 622). The majority of them being national, while around 200,000 passengers are international. The passenger traffic in the latest year was slightly lower than the recorded statistics for the years 2008 and 2009, when over a million passengers were achieved. However, traffic seems to be increasing, as in 2006, travelers were totalled at only just over 850,000.

The airport has a long history, dating back to the very early 20th century, when the ‘Committee of Aviation Bayonne Biarritz’ was formed in 1908. Initially, small ‘airports’ were established on the grounds of Nive in Bassussarry and at the House of Love, but these were closed when 29 acres of land was acquired by the General Council of the Lower Pyrenees on the plateau of Parma, which is still its current location. By 1934, the buildings consisted of a service station and clubhouse, as well as various other facilities, but was severely damaged in 1944, during World War II. The airport needed complete reconstruction. It has been officially opened in 1954, in the presence of Guy Petit, the major of Biarritz at that time. During the following years the facilities were greatly improved. The runway was lengthened in 1962, and in 1994, a new terminal building of 6000 square metres was opened. Other important dates in the history of the airport are 1977, when the it received status of an International, and 1999, with the arrival of the low-cost airline carrier, Ryanair.

Today the airport of Biarritz is a modern establishment with a single terminal building capable of processing up to 1.4 million passengers per annum. The current terminal is 9000 square metres, and houses various useful facilities for its passengers. Biarritz airport has a single runway of reasonable length (2250 x 45 m), which is able to accommodate jet airplanes of a medium size. The total area covered is 137 hectares. BIQ is not a twenty-four hour establishment, but is open during weekdays from 05:30 to 23:00, on Saturdays from 05:30 to 22:30 and on Sundays from 06:00 to 23:00.

Within the terminal, passengers will find a cash machine for simple banking transactions, public telephones, a letterbox (outside nearby the bus stop) and Wi-Fi Internet services. Shops at the airport include Relay, with a variety of newspapers, books, magazines and local products and Quiksilver, with clothing and accessories. In the centre of the terminal is the Belharra Brasserie/Restaurant Le Fronton and in the departure lounge is Taste n Fly, with a good selection of sandwiches and other take-out foods. Additional services available include a meeting room for business delegates, a VIP lounge and a tourist information office. Biarritz Airport is fully accessible to all disabled passengers, and the airline companies provide additional assistance for those who request the service in advance. On the airport grounds as well, there is a business and private aviation terminal, located in the former commercial terminal building, which operates between the hours of 09:00 and 18:00 during winter, and from 09:00 to 21:00 during the summer season.

Further information is available from the Information Desk within the terminal, or online, from the official website. The information desk is open from 08:00 to 22:00, every day of the week, or staff can be reached by email at informations@biarritz.aeroport.fr.

The Air Transport Association (IATA) code for Biarritz Airport is BIQ. It is also officially known as Biarritz Parme. We have provided the GPS location for it which are as follows 43.46667, -1.53333 to help either your arrival directions or perhaps give you directions from the location to your chosen destination.

Below is a sample of routes flight times and Airlines that fly from Biarritz Airport.