The Aelia Group has won an extension to its retail contract from April of next year at Lille Lesquin Airport following a competitive open tender which will translate into a new, enlarged 208sq m multi-category

outlet. This will offer perfumes and cosmetics, liquor, tobacco, confectionery, gifts and travel accessories.

Aelia Regional Operations Director Pascal le Droff said: ‘This is great news and we are very happy that our team at Lille will be able to continue the great work they have done up to now. The contract extension will allow us to reinvest in our retail offer to ensure that we continue to meet the needs of Lille's customers.

‘The airport serves a very dynamic region of France and a city that welcomes increasing numbers of tourists, as well as business people, and we are delighted to play our part in the future development of the airport. I would like to thank Lille Lesquin Airport for the trust they have placed in us and we look forward to building on the successful partnership we have with them.’

Lille Lesquin Airport, serving centres of population in northern France and southern Belgium, welcomed over 1m passengers in total in 2008. The airport has a passenger handling capacity of between 1.5m to 2m passengers a year and a main terminal which can be extended to accommodate 3m.

Airlines currently operating scheduled flights to and from Lille include Ryanair, Air France, Air Algerie, Aigle Azur and Royal Air Maroc. Airlines operating holiday flights from Lille include the following: Aegean Airlines; Air Adriatic; Air Europa; Air M?diterran?e; AMC Airlines; Atlas Blue; Bulgaria Air; Hellas Jet; Karthago Airlines; MNG Airlines; Nouvelair; Onur Air; Pulkovo Airlines; Thomas Cook Airlines; Tunisair; and Viking Airlines.

Lille Airport has been managed and operated since 1953 by the Lille M?tropole Chamber of Commerce (formerly the Lille Roubaix Tourcoing Chamber of Commerce).