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Charles de Gaulle Airport (LFPG), also known as Roissy, is the principal international gateway to Paris and the hub of Air France, sitting in Class A controlled airspace some 23 km northeast of the city centre at Roissy-en-France. Opened in 1974 and operated by Groupe ADP, it is one of the busiest airports in the world, with four long parallel runways arranged in two north and south pairs and full ILS coverage on every one. For the simulator pilot it offers a demanding, fully instrumented IFR environment typical of a major hub rather than a VFR destination.
Charles de Gaulle International Airport, known locally as Roissy, is the main international airport serving Paris and the principal hub for Air France, Air France Cargo and FedEx Express, as well as an operating base for easyJet. It opened on 8 March 1974 and is operated by Groupe ADP under the Paris Aéroport brand. Its scale, four-runway layout and constant heavy jet traffic make it a benchmark large international airport for simulator pilots wanting a realistic high-density IFR experience.
The airport lies in Roissy-en-France, in the Île-de-France region, about 23 km (14 miles) northeast of central Paris, spanning parts of the Val-d'Oise, Seine-Saint-Denis and Seine-et-Marne départements. It sits within the Paris terminal control area as a Class A aerodrome, reflecting its status as one of the busiest and most tightly controlled airports in Europe. Groupe ADP, which manages Charles de Gaulle, also operates Orly to the south of Paris and Le Bourget, now used for general aviation and air shows, immediately to the southwest.
Charles de Gaulle has four parallel hard-surfaced runways, all lit and equipped with ILS, arranged as two independent pairs. The northern pair comprises 08L/26R, with 13,809 ft available on 08L and 11,842 ft on 26R, and 09L/27R at approximately 8,859 ft / 8,858 ft. The southern pair comprises 09R/27L, with 13,756 ft on 09R and 11,786 ft on 27L, and 08R/26L at approximately 8,844 ft each way. Field elevation is 354 ft.
Charles de Gaulle Approach is available on 121.15 MHz and 136.275 MHz (DE GAULLE APP), with Departure on 124.35 MHz (DE GAULLE DEP). Tower operates on 119.25 MHz and 120.65 MHz (DE GAULLE TWR), Ground on 118.1 MHz (DE GAULLE TRAFFIC) and 121.6 MHz (DE GAULLE GND), with a dedicated Preflight frequency on 126.65 MHz (DE GAULLE PREFLIGHT). ATIS is broadcast on 127.125 MHz (DE GAULLE ATIS). All four runways are equipped with ILS, supporting precision approaches in the low-visibility conditions the airport frequently sees.
Planning and construction of the airport, then known as Aéroport de Paris Nord, began in 1966, and it opened on 8 March 1974 under its present name, honouring wartime leader and French president Charles de Gaulle. Terminal 1 was built as an avant-garde ten-storey circular structure surrounded by seven satellite buildings, designed by architect Paul Andreu, who also oversaw later expansions. Terminal 2 opened in 1981 and was officially inaugurated by President François Mitterrand in March 1982, later evolving into a cluster of sub-terminals designated 2A through 2G. A fourth runway was added in 2000, creating the airport's present arrangement of two independent north and south runway pairs. On 25 July 2000, Air France Flight 4590, a Concorde bound for New York, crashed shortly after departure into a hotel in nearby Gonesse, killing all 109 people aboard and four on the ground.
Charles de Gaulle remains the principal hub for Air France and Air France Cargo, a major base for FedEx Express, and an operating base for easyJet, handling over 70 million passengers and more than 460,000 aircraft movements a year, ranking among the busiest airports in the world and the busiest in the European Union. It is managed by Groupe ADP as part of a wider network that also includes Orly and Le Bourget. Its four ILS-equipped runways and continuous heavy traffic make it a prominent, if demanding, destination for simulator pilots flying commercial or business jet operations into the Paris area.
