10 September 2024
European Carrier Air France (AFR) announces flight to the far east as it expands its Asian network.
Beginning April 1, 2025, Air France will link Manila to its hub at Paris-Charles de Gaulle operating thrice a week direct flights every Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays on Airbus A350-900 aircraft, offering 34 seats in Business class, 24 seats in Premium, and 266 in Economy.
The flight will alternate with Amsterdam-based KLM, using the same slots and operating at Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3.
AF208: Leaves Paris-Charles de Gaulle at 11:20pm on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays, arriving in Manila at 7:30pm (next day),
AF209: Leaving Manila at 9:50pm on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays, arriving at Paris-Charles de Gaulle at 5:50am (next day).
Meanwhile, KLM will operate with 4 flights a week from Amsterdam Schiphol airport, every Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Sundays, using B787-900 aircraft.
Air France-KLM Group will provide daily European flights to Manila by coordinating their respective flight schedules, with KLM reducing flight services.
Air France will also add flights to Tokyo Haneda this winter (up to 15 flights a week), Osaka (up to 3 flights a week), Beijing (up to 7 flights a week), Shanghai (up to 7 flights a week), Hong Kong (up to 7 flights a week), Seoul (up to 7 flights a week), Bangkok (up to 13 flights a week), Singapore (up to 10 flights a week), and Ho Chi Minh City (3 flights a week).
The introduction of Manila marks Air France’s 5th new route for the winter 2024-2025 season.
During this period, the airline will inaugurate new routes to Salvador de Bahia (Brazil, 3 flights a week from October 28, 2024), Kilimanjaro (Tanzania, 3 flights a week from November 18, as an extension from Zanzibar), Malé (Maldives, up to 2 flights a week from December 20) and Kiruna (Sweden, 1 flight a week from December 21).
French controlled Air France-KLM Group transported 83 million passengers in 2022.
The carrier last flew to Manila in March 2004 with Airbus A340-300 aircraft. This time it will be operated by Airbus A350-900.
Assume routing requires avoidance of Russia?
ReplyDeleteAs a EU flagged airline, yes.
DeleteI thought you could not get landing or takoff slots at Manila at a good time? Wonder how much money to get those slots.
ReplyDeleteYou can't. That is actually the slot of KLM, which flies daily to MNL via TPE. After December 16, it would now be Air France-KLM. Same company with different routes, AMS (4x) and CDG (3x).
DeleteI would think Delta would have taken those landing slot from the west coast of United States.
ReplyDelete