The renovated airport terminal in Roissy has commenced operations

Paris - Almost four years after the collapse of part of the vault, which claimed four lives, operations at terminal 2E of the main Paris airport Roissy/Charles de Gaulle were resumed today. The first passengers to enter were those from Atlanta, and the first flight to be checked in was to Moscow. By the end of the year, six million passengers are expected to pass through the terminal, and then nine million annually.
    The terminal will mainly serve the check-in for long-haul flights of the airlines associated in the SkyTeam alliance, of which Czech Airlines is also a member. Flights between Paris and Prague, which were originally checked in at this terminal and during its reconstruction at 2B, have been moved to terminal 2D starting today. The first flights to Ruzyně also departed from there this morning.
    During the accident on May 23, 2004, a 30-meter long segment of the vault collapsed. In addition to the four dead, six were recorded as injured. The terminal had been in operation for less than a year at that time. The cause of the collapse was insufficient resilience of the concrete vault.
    In the reconstruction, which cost 130 million euros (almost 3.4 billion crowns), concrete was replaced with metal, making the vault now six and a half times lighter. The original appearance of the terminal has been preserved. It is still a futuristic-looking, 660-meter long tube with an elliptical profile. Its interior has benefited aesthetically from the abundant use of light wood on the walls. More than in its original form, comfort for passengers is remembered.
    The investigation into the accident from a criminal law perspective is still ongoing. It is being conducted for "manslaughter and injury," but no charges have been filed against anyone yet.
    The terminal was built by Eiffage at a cost of 750 million euros. It was a pride of the airport in Roissy, and the opening of operations was accompanied by great fanfare. Today's resumption took place without any formalities.