Air France announced earlier today that its long-haul capacity would increase by 9% this summer as it prepares for the 2024 Olympics in Paris. It added that the retrofits of its Airbus A350-900s and Boeing 777-300ERs would continue.
Looking ahead
This summer will likely be the busiest in Air France history as Paris hosts the 2024 Summer Olympic Games, becoming the second city to have hosted the event three times. Air France, the French flag carrier, is a partner of the games. Compared to 2023, the airline’s summer capacity will increase by 9% over last year, and it will continue to roll out its updated products on its A350s and Boeing 777-300ERs.
Air France is responding to sustained demand by pushing forward with the expansion of its global network. As France prepares to welcome the world for the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games – of which Air France is a proud partner – the airline’s teams are going all out for the delegations, athletes and fans that will be arriving for the world’s biggest event.
In 2022, Air France announced a new business class product for its 777s that was rolled out in January 2023 on the route from Aéroport Paris-Charles de Gaulle (CDG) to New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport. The next day, the same aircraft was deployed to Rio de Janeiro, followed by Dakar one day later. Privacy is one essential part of the new business class cabin, marketed with the ‘Three Fs’ Full-Flat, Full-Access and Full-Privacy.
According to today’s announcement, the retrofits will continue and will be introduced on summer flights to Toronto, Chicago, Vancouver, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Papeete, Mexico, and Tokyo-Narita.
Network expansion
This summer, the airline’s long-haul expansion includes several routes to the United States, most of which were previously announced. In January, Air France announced it would begin serving Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport in May three times weekly with its Boeing 787-9s. Phoenix will become the 17th US city served by Air France. Flights to Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport, a hub for Air France’s SkyTeam partner, will resume in May. Additionally, the airline will expand its recently launched service to Raleigh Durham International Airport from three times weekly to daily.
Today’s announcement did not just focus on the American market but rather on several segments. In winter 2023, Air France launched flights to Abu Dhabi and will extend its daily operations through the summer. Flights to Japan will also increase, with two daily flights to Haneda International Airport in Tokyo and four weekly flights to Narita International Airport. Several African routes will also have increases, like two daily flights to Cameroon, shared between Yaoundé and Douala. Service to Brazaville will be swapped to Airbus A350-900s.
Photo: Vincenzo Pace I Simple Flying
Short and medium-haul operations will also increase, with 45 seasonal routes in France and Europe. The airline is adding new services to Italy, Greece, and Norway. Flights to Verona, Italy, will launch on April 2 with Embraer E170 and E190 aircraft, operating up to thrice weekly. From June 15 to August 31, Air France will deploy one Airbus A319 every Saturday to Narvik-Lofoten in Norway. Finally, flights to Kalamata, Greece, will run once a week from July 6 to August 31.
