Lyon-Saint Exupéry airport begins Terminal 2 transformation ahead of the 2030 Winter Olympics

VINCI Airports laid the foundation stone for the transformation of Terminal 2 at Lyon-Saint Exupéry airport on 16 October 2026, fifty years after the airport opened, with the renovated terminal scheduled to open by 2029, ahead of the 2030 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The project adds a 9,500 m² extension and modernises 12,000 m² of existing space. According to VINCI, Terminal 2 will receive a next-generation security screening area, similar to the one planned for Terminal 1 in summer 2027, together with new shops and leisure areas. The bus station will be enlarged to increase capacity, particularly for services to the Alps, and the handling of oversized baggage such as skis and bicycles will be improved to cope with growing mountain traffic in both winter and summer. The operator also plans a more flexible use of aircraft stands and an energy-efficiency refurbishment as part of the airport's decarbonisation plan.

For passengers heading to the Alps through Lyon, the changes target the parts of the journey most affected by seasonal peaks: security, bulky luggage and onward coach transfers.

VINCI says the investment programme is conditional on signing an economic regulation contract with the French State by spring 2027. The release does not describe the construction phases or any effect on passengers while the works take place, so travellers using Terminal 2 should follow the airport's own updates.