Volotea Montpellier: four new routes from November 2026

1. What is announced: the base, the aircraft and the four routes

Volotea is announcing its eleventh French base, at Montpellier-Méditerranée. The aviation site ch-aviation dates the project to autumn 2026, with flights starting in early November. One A320-200 would be based on site: a light base, with a single aircraft and crews stationed there. It is neither a hub nor a large base, but a foothold for short and medium-haul routes to Spain and the Canary Islands, plus a link to Bordeaux.

The airline already operates routes from Montpellier. According to ch-aviation, it accounts for 23.2% of the airport’s capacity, behind Transavia France. The new routes therefore add to an existing network. We did not compile the full list of current routes in this research: check the Volotea or airport website before you book.

The table below summarises the four routes as announced. The « Status » column separates what an official site relays from what is reported only by the press.

Source: Montpellier airport, live destinations, Bordeaux airport and Ulysse, checked on 17 October 2026.

Two points to keep in mind before the detail. First, these routes are not daily: one or two frequencies a week depending on the destination. Second, 6 November applies to Bordeaux and Madrid, while Lanzarote and Tenerife South start the following day and the day after.

An airport looking for new routes

Montpellier airport hit a record 1.93 million passengers in 2019. It fell to 810,000 in 2020, then climbed back to 1.76 million in 2022. In the second quarter of 2025 it handled 480,155 commercial passengers, 2.1% fewer than a year earlier. Low-cost carriers accounted for 319,786 of them, down 3.9%.

The « Ambition » plan, dated January 2023, targeted 2.3 to 2.5 million passengers and 60 direct destinations by 2026. That target has not been updated, and we found no verified annual figure for 2025. Montpellier has also hosted a Transavia France base since June 2025, which makes two low-cost bases in a short time.

On jobs, Objectif Sud mentions about thirty posts in Montpellier for the base, a figure Volotea has not confirmed. The press also quotes annual seat numbers that do not fit one aircraft and four routes: we do not repeat them. The airport mentions a second aircraft in 2027 or later, with no firm date.

Source: ORT Occitanie economic outlook note, Q2 2025, checked on 17 October 2026; Le Journal des Entreprises, 17 January 2023 for the « Ambition » plan; TourMaG and Objectif Sud for the 2019, 2020 and 2022 traffic figures (extracts checked on 17 October 2026).

For a wider view of this autumn’s new routes, read our overview of new low-cost routes from France this autumn.

2. Montpellier, departure point

Montpellier, departure city

1 A320 announced First flight announced for 6 November Line 620 shuttle

Montpellier already has a low-cost base, Transavia France’s, in service since June 2025. Volotea is announcing a second base for November. The link to the city centre runs through the shuttle and the tram, described in section 3. Base information comes from ch-aviation.

Highlights

• Two low-cost bases: Transavia France since June 2025, and Volotea from November 2026 if the announcement holds.
• A shuttle to the centre: line 620 to place de l’Europe, then tram line 1 to Saint-Roch station.
• Two sun destinations, Lanzarote and Tenerife South, plus Madrid, with about 1 h 30 of announced flight time.

Pixidia tip: before booking a connection or a transfer, check the flight on the airline’s website. An announced route can change before departure (see section 4).

The product below is bookable in Lanzarote, not Montpellier: it concerns your arrival day on the island. The announced flight lands on Saturday 7 November. For that date the hike is open for booking (checked on 17 October 2026); on 8 November it is closed. Check your flight’s arrival time before you add it to your day.

Lanzarote: volcano trekking through the Timanfaya landscapes From €44 per person for 2 adults. Open on 7 November 2026, closed on 8 November (checked on 17 October 2026) · ★ 4.90 (421 reviews)

Book my Timanfaya hike

3. From the airport to the centre: line 620 shuttle and tram line 1

Montpellier-Méditerranée airport

Line 620 shuttle Tram line 1 €2 or €3

The line 620 shuttle links Montpellier Sud de France station, place de l’Europe and the airport. According to Montpellier-France, allow about 25 minutes between place de l’Europe and the airport. From place de l’Europe, tram line 1, towards Mosson, reaches Saint-Roch station. Montpellier-France, getting to the airport by plane.

Good to know

• No tram serves the airport directly: the shuttle is essential to get there.
• The intermodal ticket (€3) covers the bus and the tram; the shuttle alone costs €2.
• Children under 5 travel free on the bus, under 3 on the tram.

Pixidia tip: the old line number 120 still appears in some transfer guides. The current line is 620. Do not rely on an old printed timetable.

The frequency of the 620 shuttle still needs checking. A one-page SNCF summary gives a departure every 30 minutes, Monday to Saturday, from 8 am to 8 pm, and no service on Sunday to Sud de France station. These times do not appear on the official page we checked: confirm them with the operator before you plan your arrival. If your flight lands in the evening, check the shuttle times before you leave the terminal.

Source: Montpellier-France, getting to the airport by plane, checked on 17 October 2026. The page gives no validity date for these fares. Frequency: one-page SNCF summary, to be checked.

4. Volotea is restructuring: what to know before you book

This point weighs on the decision to book, so we treat it separately, fact by fact, with its date. According to the press, the airline is still flying, and its moves aim to reorganise its debt and its fleet. None of the sources we checked says that the Montpellier base or its routes are being cut.

What is reported

• A debt renegotiation. Volotea has started a preconcurso procedure, a pre-insolvency process, before the commercial court in Barcelona, which gives it time to renegotiate its debts. The press dates it to September 2026. The sources disagree on the day: one press summary cites 29 September, while Air Journal already reported a fleet reduction on 24 September. We therefore keep only « September 2026 ».
• A smaller fleet. According to Air Journal (24 September 2026, extract checked), the airline now operates 44 Airbus aircraft and aims for 30 to 35 in its restructuring plan.
• A timetable. An agreement before the end of December 2026 is targeted, according to the Spanish press. About fifty posts in Barcelona are to be adjusted.
• A stated cause. Higher jet fuel prices, linked to the situation in the Middle East, are presented as the cause. For the wider aviation context shared by all airlines, our feature on the Middle East crisis and CDG, Nice and Marseille covers it; it does not concern Volotea alone.
• A disputed shareholding. Aegean Airlines holds more than 20% of the capital, according to information from March 2026 relayed by the press. The business press speaks of a takeover by Aegean (17 September 2026, not confirmed). Greek City Times reports an Aegean denial (5 October 2026, single source, extract checked). We do not take a side.

Winter cuts, and Montpellier

On 3 October 2026, Air Journal reported, citing Cirium, a 10 to 11% drop in Volotea’s capacity between November 2026 and February 2027, compared with the previous winter. The airports named are Nantes, Lille, Bordeaux, Brest, Lyon, Marseille, Rodez, Strasbourg and Toulouse. Montpellier is not on the list. But the list is partial: its silence does not confirm that the base is spared.

For Bordeaux, the regional press cites a fourth quarter 2026 that is 35% lower than in 2025. The Bordeaux-Montpellier route, announced from 6 November, should therefore be checked before you book.

According to Sud Ouest, relayed by Algérie 360, the airline says these adjustments are the last of 2026 and that no further cancellations are planned this year. Affected passengers can change their flight free of charge or ask for a full refund.

Sources: Air Journal, 24 September 2026; Air Journal, 3 October 2026; Algérie 360. Extracts checked on 17 October 2026.

What this means for your booking

• Check your flight on the airline’s website before departure, and especially the day before.
• Keep your confirmation, your exchanges with the airline and all supporting documents.
• If your flight is cancelled or significantly changed, the rights described in section 6 apply.
• Allow a margin for a connection, especially if the Volotea flight is your first leg.

The table below lists the points to check before you pay, with their status as of 17 October 2026.

Source: Air Journal, Ulysse, Objectif Sud and Bordeaux airport, checked on 17 October 2026.

5. Baggage: what we know, and where to check the rest

The base fare only includes a small bag that fits under the seat. Hold luggage is paid separately, by weight. The sources we checked do not agree on amounts, sizes or airport prices, so this research quotes no figure: a wrong price would cost the traveller money.

A larger cabin bag is not always included, and it depends on the fare you choose.

For the exact price, the allowed size and the maximum weight, check volotea.com at the baggage step, before you pay. Compare the online price with the airport price too, as the gap can be large.

• Weigh your bag at home before departure to avoid the surcharge at the airport.
• The large cabin bag (55 × 40 × 25 cm) is not always included: it depends on the fare, according to the sources we checked.
• Check the dimensions of your handbag for under the seat: it is the only allowance the sources describe as included.

6. If your flight is cancelled: passenger rights

EU Regulation 261/2004 protects passengers departing from an EU airport, and passengers flying into the EU on a European airline. Volotea is a Spanish airline, but a flight from Montpellier to Madrid, Lanzarote or Tenerife South falls under this text: what counts is the departure from an EU airport. Europa, Your Europe summarises the rules.

If a cancellation is notified less than 14 days before departure, and the passenger is not re-routed under comparable conditions, compensation is in principle due. The airline can avoid paying by proving extraordinary circumstances.

The practical steps

• Send a written complaint to the airline, with your booking reference and the flight date.
• Wait for its reply. Specialist websites mention a six-week delay, which is not confirmed by any official text.
• If the reply is unsatisfactory, contact the DGAC, the French civil aviation authority, or the Médiateur du tourisme et du voyage, the French travel ombudsman.
• Keep all supporting documents: confirmation, exchanges, replacement tickets.

The official French government page on air passenger rights was not accessible when we checked. The French procedure described here therefore comes from specialist websites: verify it before you act on it.

7. Destinations: Madrid, Lanzarote, Tenerife South and Bordeaux

Madrid, in around 90 minutes

The Madrid flight is announced at about 1 h 30, against 4 to 6 h with a connection today, according to Ulysse. The first flight, on Friday 6 November, comes just after the All Saints’ weekend (31 October and 1 November): accommodation can cost more around that period, so check prices when you book. In the city itself, the sources we checked describe no specific seasonal programme beyond culture and markets.

Lanzarote and Tenerife South, winter sun

In Lanzarote, the Saturday flight lands at Arrecife airport. Timanfaya National Park, Jameos del Agua, Los Hervideros and the Mirador del Río feature in most guides. The sites are spread out and the trails offer little shade: according to the guides we checked, a hire car is almost essential.

In Tenerife South, the Sunday flight lands in the south of the island, close to the resorts of Costa Adeje and Playa de las Américas, and to Los Cristianos, the port for boat trips. According to Nomadotravel, the south of the island is dry and sunny in winter, with about 20 to 22 °C during the day. The calima, a wind from the Sahara, can reduce visibility. For the Santa Cruz carnival in February, guides advise booking accommodation three to six months ahead.

Sources: Ulysse, extract checked on 17 October 2026; Nomadotravel and Generation Voyage, extracts checked on 17 October 2026. Lanzarote’s winter weather is not detailed in the sources: check it before you travel.

Bordeaux, the route that depends most on what comes next

The Bordeaux-Montpellier route is announced from 6 November 2026. Bordeaux airport lists a departure from Bordeaux at 9:30 pm on Friday and 9:15 pm on Sunday, to check on your booking. The departure day from Montpellier is not confirmed: one source mentions a return from Montpellier on Friday. For travellers departing from Bordeaux, Mérignac airport is linked to the centre by tram line A, Aéroport stop, in service since 29 April 2023: guides that say there is no tram are out of date. Vueling also points this out to travellers.

What other guides don’t tell you

Five points, sourced; several rely on the press (the debt procedure, the Madrid, Lanzarote and Tenerife frequencies, the strike). Each one is dated to the check of 17 October 2026.

• The airport shuttle is line 620, not 120. Older transfer guides still cite 120. Montpellier-France gives 620 (getting to the airport by plane, checked on 17 October 2026).
• The network’s published fares are €2 for the shuttle alone and €3 for the shuttle and tram combined. Older guides give €1.60 or €2.60. The page gives no validity date, so check again when you pay (Montpellier-France, checked on 17 October 2026).
• The launch articles do not mention Volotea’s debt renegotiation. The subject only appears in the press from late September and October 2026, notably in Air Journal, 3 October 2026 (press source, extract checked on 17 October 2026).
• The four new routes are not daily. Lanzarote on Saturdays, Tenerife South on Sundays, Madrid twice a week, and Bordeaux on Fridays and Sundays according to Bordeaux airport (checked on 17 October 2026).
• The only documented strike notice covers 4 to 6 September 2026. One press headline mentions November, but its text describes September. Source: Air Journal, 29 August 2026 (extract checked on 17 October 2026).