User review of Brive Airport

The arrival was fine, except the airport seemed to have a ground crew consisting of just one person. That one chap had to put the rope around the wing of the aircraft, pull up the steps to the plane, unload the passengers luggage and load it all on the the luggage carousel. I could see him do this through the window of the arrivals area. On the inside of the building several push-chairs (baby strollers) were getting stuck on the luggage carousel, so no further cases could come on. The passengers had to untangle the pushchairs as there were no other airport staff in attendance.

On the way back the lack of staff caused more serious problems. I had almost reached the head of the security queue when the official said to the old man in front of me 'ten minutes', no further explanation. I don't think the French official was able to give one as he spoke very little English ( he couldn't even tell passengers what he wanted them to do - like take off a belt before passing through the metal detector). The conveyor belt to the x-ray machine stopped and the three French staff just stood around for the next twenty minutes, chatting. The old man's family had already passed through and they were quite concerned. He was obviously well into his 80's and deaf, but he was just left to stand there like the rest of the growing queue of people behind him. Eventually the old man's relative found out some information and shouted it through from the other side of the passport check barrier. Apparently another plane had just landed, - the 19.55 Cityjet arrival, (the plane which would take us all back to London), and the passport checking staff had to go and check the passports of all those arriving passengers. So the departing passengers just had to stand around in limbo as there were no staff to check our passports. We couldn't sit down, get a drink, do anything.

Once I was through the passport check my name was called because security wanted to open my suitcase. I couldn't communicate with the security checking girl as she couldn't speak much English. I'm afraid I don't speak much French, but as most of the flights from Brive seem to go to the UK or Ireland perhaps training the staff with some key English phrases would be helpful.

I also noticed that the airport is not signposted at all on the old D820 road though Payrac and Souillac. I think the first indication there was an airport anywhere near was at Cressenac where there was a tiny little aircraft symbol on the road sign, but no actual name of the airport or indication of distance. Perhaps because the airport is in another department the neighbouring departments are refusing to pay out for new road signs to advertise it.

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