Paris Orly Airport (ORY)
History, Facts and Overview

(Paris, France)

When Orly Airport first began operating in 1932 it went by the name of Villeneuve Orly Airport. Located on the southerly outskirts of Paris, the airfield was conveniently sited close to the city centre and outlying districts, such as Choisy-le-Roi, Versailles and Vitry-sur-Seine. Used by the German army during the Second World War, Orly Airport suffered much bomb damage and was rebuilt in 1944 by the US Air Force.

By 1948, Orly Airport (ORY) was serving Paris once more and began to offer an increasing portfolio of airlines and flights. Charter flights in the early 1960s were extremely popular and Air France featured a fleet of regular Boeing jet planes and more than three million passengers each year, rising to six million just three years later.


Onsite at Paris Orly Airport today are plenty of passenger amenities, the most notable of which includes three branches of the HSBC bank, two bureau de change outlets operated by American Express and two pharmacies. Travellers with back pain may benefit from one of the many available seated massages, while manicures and other beauty treatments are also available for those in need of pampering. Religious visitors at Orly Airport will find dedicated prayer areas remain open between 06:30 and 22:00.

Just over 60 shops and eateries of all kinds await passengers and visitors to Paris Orly Airport. For a quick bite to eat, eateries such as Alpha Bravo, Café Comptoir, Columbus Café, Destination Café, Illy Café, l'Arrivée and Le Bar Américain will not disappoint. For something a little different, consider a meal at the airport's La Terrace (Terrasse) bar in the Orly South terminal, which features a grass floor, tables with parasols and outstanding views of the aircraft.