Abu Dhabi – United Arab Emirates:

Air France continues to diversify its long-haul routes.

Air France has started flying between Abu Dhabi and Paris-Charles de Gaulle, with the inaugural flight arriving at Abu Dhabi International Airport today (October 30). The daily service is being operated by an Airbus A350-900 aircraft with a total of 324 seats (34 in Business, 24 in Premium Economy and 266 in Economy). The launch of the new route linking the two capital cities comes as Air France celebrates it’s 90th anniversary.

The route will boost local tourism and further promote Abu Dhabi as a global destination and expand Abu Dhabi Airports’ network. The Department of Culture and Tourism (DCT) Abu Dhabi and Air France-KLM signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) forging a strategic partnership to enhance connectivity between Abu Dhabi and Europe.

The new service will also offer opportunities for passengers boarding in Abu Dhabi to explore Paris and the regions of France, and beyond to the Americas through the Air France global network of destinations with only one stop over in Paris.    

Welcoming the flight , Mr Angus Clarke, Chief Commercial Officer, Air France-KLM, said: “Air France is delighted to welcome today’s inaugural flight linking two of the world’s great capital cities. We are deeply honoured to be here and very confident that our passengers will be excited to explore the culture, heritage and opportunities in both cities. In the UAE’s Year of Sustainability, it is an opportunity to share the Air France commitment to support Abu Dhabi’s mandate to sustainable tourism and to help achieve the tourism objectives of the emirate. We are proud and privileged to be working with DCT Abu Dhabi as Abu Dhabi continues to emerge as a truly global aviation centre, catering to millions of passengers travelling to regional and international destinations. It is also a special pleasure to launch this new route as we celebrate the 90th anniversary of Air France.”  

Commenting on the news, Maureen Bannerman, Chief Commercial Officer, Abu Dhabi Airports said: “We are pleased to join our partner-, Air France-, on the occasion of resuming their service between Abu Dhabi and Paris-Charles de Gaulle. France and the UAE have long held strong strategic partnerships and travel and tourism have always played an important part of this valuable exchange of cultures. We look forward to welcoming the French national carrier to Abu Dhabi International Airport and to revitalising travel experiences between the popular two destinations”.

Flight times:

AF639: Departing Abu Dhabi at 08h45, Arriving at Paris-Charles de Gaulle at 13h15

AF638: Departing Paris-Charles de Gaulle at 21h15, Arriving in Abu Dhabi at 06h45 next day

This winter 2023, in addition to Abu Dhabi, Air France will also be flying to these Middle East destinations: Beirut (Lebanon), Dubai (United Arab Emirates), Cairo (Egypt) and, with up to 28 weekly flights.

Detailed flight times, days and fares can be found on airfrance.com. The flight times are subject to change and pending the necessary governmental authorizations. Before travelling, Air France urges its customers to check the travel restrictions and documents required upon arrival at their destination. For more information, go to airfrance.traveldoc.aero.

-Ends-

About Air France

Since 1933, Air France has been promoting and highlighting France throughout the world. With an activity divided between passenger transport, cargo transport and aeronautical maintenance, Air France is a major air transport player. More than 38,000 staff that make up its workforce are committed on a daily basis to offering each customer a unique travel experience.

Air France, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines and Transavia make up the Air France-KLM Group. The Group relies on its powerful hubs at Paris-Charles de Gaulle and Amsterdam-Schiphol to offer a vast international network. Its Flying Blue frequent flyer programme has over 20 million members. Air France and KLM are members of the SkyTeam alliance which has a total of 19 member airlines.

Air France has set itself ambitious sustainable development targets and is working to reduce and support projects that absorb and store carbon from the atmosphere in natural carbon sinks.  As part of the Air France ACT programme, the company is committed to reducing its CO2 emissions per passenger-km by 30% in 2030 vs 2019. This ambition is supported by major investments to renew its fleet with new-generation more fuel-efficient aircraft, the development of use of more Sustainable Aviation Fuel, or the generalisation of eco-piloting.

Media contacts:

Yasaman Milleret
Regional Marketing, Communication and Sustainability Manager
Middle East
Air France KLM
Yamilleret@airfrance.fr