Arriving air traffic has been entirely switched to the new terminal at Roland-Garros airport since March 26, after processing a few first test flights.
Launched in October 2021, construction work on the new terminal was completed at the end of 2023, the beginning of 2024 was devoted to the final adjustments. A new system for processing hold baggage on departure has notably been put in place, to comply with the new European regulations on the detection of explosives. It cost 15 million euros, to which were added 50 million for the construction of the building itself. The European Union participated in this investment to the tune of 59%. During the preinauguration, March 15, the officials did not fail to emphasize the singularity of this terminal, designed to significantly limit its energy consumption. Air conditioning has been banned from most spaces, indoor thermal comfort is ensured by an innovative natural ventilation system. The trade winds which blow generously over Gillot enter the vast baggage delivery room via glazed blinds, whose opening is managed automatically depending on the weather conditions. The air then escapes through the blinds of the opposite facade, but above all by a longitudinal opening created in the roof. The new Reunion terminal is the first bioclimatic building of this size, in the tropical world exposed to cyclones.
