Construction of the next-generation aircraft carrier: a great opportunity?

With the first heatwaves helping, the Toulon Harbor Maritime Union (UMRT) celebrated the arrival of summer a week early. On Friday, June 13, everyone involved in Toulon's port operations, whether civilian or military, as well as elected officials from the harbor's riverside municipalities, gathered on the beaches of Mourillon at the invitation of the UMRT.

Although this meeting, soberly dubbed "The Summer of Maritime Business", was intended to be primarily informal, it was an opportunity for Philippe Garo, the president of the UMRT, to recall the current good health of the commercial port of Toulon-La Seyne. Whether it is cruises, ferries (+11.6%), cargo activity (+12.74%) or calls by large pleasure craft, all traffic is increasing over the first four months of the year, compared to the same period in 2024. This dynamism was made possible "thanks to the combined work of the authorities and maritime companies" .

Towards the extension of the Brégaillon quay?

It was also an opportunity to discuss the future construction of the infrastructure – a maintenance basin bordered by two quays – needed for the new generation aircraft carrier (PANg) expected in the Toulon harbor in 2035-2036. Philippe Garo sees this as a "real challenge" , but above all "a fantastic opportunity for the harbor's businesses, which are fully prepared to invest in the project" .

While port professionals are therefore rather optimistic, they hope that this future project, which is necessarily "out of the ordinary" , will not impact traffic. On this subject, Philippe Garo specifies that "work is being done to measure the impact on commercial activity and take measures so that commercial maritime activity can continue its development" . And to do this, the president of the UMRT, "convinced that the project will need quays" , calls for "the revitalization of existing quays" , or "the development of quays in the inner part of Brégaillon" .