Nice Côte d’Azur Airport and Restos du Cœur renew partnership

Côte d’Azur airport is extending the partnership, which has been growing year on year since its launch in 2022, and benefits the underprivileged.

A first in France, the partnership has now been adopted by other airports. Through the project, travellers can donate items that are not permitted in the cabin to the Restos du Cœur charity. The initiative was set up to avoid the disposal of hundreds of thousands of confiscated items each year. 

Given its success in 2022, the system was expanded to all terminals in 2023. The project aims not only to cut down on waste, but also to turn these unused items into resources for people in need.

What does Nice Airport do with your confiscated items?

Passengers can console themselves in the knowledge that their confiscated items are doing good. The partnership has also eased the workload of security staff and provided Restos du Cœur beneficiaires with food and other items that are rarely available to them, such as olive oil, jams, quality preserves, and even unexpected items like irons.

In 18 months, over 117,000 items were collected and redistributed through the French charity. François Chantrait, volunteer president of the Restos du Cœur in the Alpes-Maritimes region, describes this partnership as a «cadeau du ciel», literally a gift from the heavens, allowing the charity to diversify and enhance what they can provide to vulnerable families.

Franck Goldnadel, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Aéroports de la Côte d’Azur, stressed his pride in the project despite the logistical challenges: “Every year, we would destroy thousands of items. At a time when waste is unacceptable and more and more people have to choose between housing and food, this system of collection and donation is a commitment to our region and its inhabitants.”

The pioneering partnership is a socially-responsible initiative that reduces waste while helping people in need.