Nice Côte d’Azur airport has today opened its newly renovated terminal

two following the inauguration of T1 in May 2016. The new T2 passenger route is based on a single security-check area, accompanied by a new intersecting Aelia Duty Free store, according to airport operator Aéroports de la Côte d’Azur.

Spanning 1,860sq m, which represents a 279% surface area increase, the new unified security-check area offers passengers an increasingly fluid and simple route through T2. According to the airport operator, all these developments are now part of a logical optimisation of the passenger route.

New shops will open in Room A (Schengen) alongside Room B (non-Schengen) throughout spring and before summer. The planned extension will enable the establishment of additional shops and restaurants within the departure lounge. Once work is complete, both terminals will offer a combined total of 68 shops and restaurants.

As in T1, the T2 comfort areas (seating and ease of passenger traffic) have been significantly increased. In this instance, the area has increased 88% to 13,237sq m. The VIP lounges now span 1,415sq m, an increase of 144% and the redesigned business centre in T2 has reopened. The shops and restaurants will also double their surface area by the end of 2017 to 3,706sq m, an increase of 162%.

To access the departure lounges, passengers must now pass through the Lagardère Travel Retail outlet operated under the Aelia Duty Free banner. The 840sq m store has strong gastronomy, confectionery, perfumes, cosmetics, wines, champagnes and premium spirits offers. Brands such as Bobbi Brown, Bourjois, Benefit, Caudalie and a range of skincare products are available in-store. New brands such as Crème de la Mer, Jo Malone and Filorga are also prominent.

Fragrance lovers will see bottles designed by the likes of By Kilian, Dyptique, Amouage and Serge Lutens and private collections by Tom Ford and Elie Saab. Under a ceiling of suspended peonies, customers can also create their own perfumes in a Fragonard laboratory of scents—Fragonard is a prestigious Côte d’Azur perfume house.

Further on, passengers will see a corner dedicated to French luxury brands Chanel, Dior and Guerlain. They can also enjoy exclusive “express” beauty services for and a blow-dry before departure in the Hair & Nail Bar by Éric Zemmour. Finally, they can also immerse themselves in the atmosphere of the Cote d’Azur by enjoying latest cocktails from renowned brands. On conclusion of their shopping session, passengers in T2 can visit corners dedicated to M&M’s and Pascal Lac macaroons.

Aéroports de la Côte d’Azur CEO Dominique Thillaud said: “After the complete renewal of terminal one last year, the opening of this new optimised single control-check area, offering even more security and fluidity, marks a new milestone in the establishment of a platform which forms part of our region’s image. We are always focused on the satisfaction of our passengers and improvement of the competitiveness that we offer to airlines, as we are the only ones in France to offer drastic reductions in fees.”

Nice airport commercial business unit director Filip Soete added: “In opening this new route within terminal two, we are able to culminate our vision ‘to offer the most remarkable experience within a European airport’ with an emphasis on ‘sense of place’ and with brands such as Fragonard, L’Occitane, Lac, Gas—very much related to the Riviera, which will complement our existing offer of essential products related to travel or to France.”

Nice Côte d’Azur is France’s second busiest airport after Paris, with 12.4 million passengers in 2016, 108 direct destinations and 61 scheduled airlines serving 38 countries.