Air France will operate nonstop flights from Paris to Manila three times a week (Monday, Wednesday and Saturday), and from Manila to Paris the following day.
Francophiles, rejoice! No more long layovers and arriving in the lovely City of Light wilted from stressing about catching connecting flights between Manila and Paris.
Following rumors all week about the resumption of direct flights to Europe from Manila, the French carrier Air France and the French Embassy announced in a joint press conference yesterday, September 10, that direct flights will indeed start operating between Paris and Manila on December 7, 2024.
French Ambassador to the Philippines Marie Fontanel said, “One of the more frequent questions I’ve been receiving since I was posted to the Philippines more than a year ago is, ‘Will there be, again, a direct flight from Manila to Paris?’ This is a question we could not answer last week, but now, officially today, it’s possible to confirm.”
The ambassador added that apart from strengthening bilateral relations and tourism between the two countries, the direct flight to Paris was a Christmas wish expressed by many Filipinos. “Having a direct flight was really, once again, a request—a Christmas wish of many Filipinos and also French partners. I do hope it will have an impact. We might be the first country in the European Union (issuing the highest) number of visas every year.”
France receives almost a hundred million visitors annually, making it the top global tourist destination. This year, with Paris hosting the recently concluded Summer Olympics, various reports indicate that the number is more likely to be a record 101 million.
Femke Kroese, Air France-KLM general manager for Southeast Asia and Oceania, said, “ The Philippine market has always been on our radar. It’s a market that is growing rapidly and has a GDP of over five percent. Of course, post-Covid the whole airline industry situation has been complicated. So, yes, we are very happy to announce, it will be a challenge but knowing that Paris is the second most visited destination by Filipinos in Europe we do believe there is a strong market.”
Record tourist arrivals
France receives almost a hundred million visitors annually, making it the top global tourist destination. This year, with Paris hosting the recently concluded Summer Olympics, various reports indicate that the number is more likely to be a record 101 million.
The Manila-Paris inaugural flight coincides with the reopening of the Notre Dame Cathedral on December 8 after five years of renovation from the fire that damaged the cathedral extensively. The direct flight makes it more convenient for Filipino tourists to explore the Christmas markets across France (and Europe), from Paris to the stunning Alsace region in border cities such as Colmar and Strasbourg. It also makes coming home to the Philippines easier for more than 200,000 Filipinos living in France with majority of them in Paris.
Air France’s Paris-Manila flight will use Airbus A350-900 as part of the airline’s strengthening its fleet with new-generation aircraft. The flight offers 34 seats in business class, 24 seats in premium, and 266 in economy.
AF208 leaves Paris-Charles de Gaulle at 11:20pm (Paris time) on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays, and arrives in Manila at 7:30pm (the next day, Manila time). From Manila, flight AF209 leaves at 9:50pm (Manila time) on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays, arriving at Paris-Charles de Gaulle at 5:50am (the next day, Paris time).
According to Kroese, travelers “can arrive in Paris in style” with Michelin-starred chefs creating the menu for business class while champagne is served throughout the flight for all classes.
“As a flagship carrier, Air France is, of course, promoting France and that already starts when you fly on board our aircraft,” Kroese said at yesterday’s press briefing.
After a 20-year absence, Air France is set to open an office in Manila. Kroese added that Manila is also a KLM destination, with four flights a week from Amsterdam Schiphol airport, on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Sundays. By coordinating their respective flight schedules, Air France and KLM ensure a combined daily service to Manila.
Removing the ‘psychological barrier’
Ambassador Fontanel continued, “The direct nonstop service between the Philippines and France will most likely boost trade, tourism exchanges between our two countries and more generally with the European Union. In terms of tourism, the connection of the two air hubs of Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris and Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila consolidates the role of France and the Philippines as a gateway to Europe and Southeast Asia in terms of trade at the time when negotiations on a free trade agreement are resuming with the EU.”
The ambassador expressed her optimism that the direct flights will remove the “psychological barrier to trade and boost the interest of French and European investors in a particularly dynamic Philippine market. The reopening of this direct route was made possible by the invaluable help of (DOTR) Secretary Jaime Bautista and the modernization of NAIA.”
Secretary Jaime Bautista said, “We don’t want to experience (again) what happened in the early 2000s, when the Philippines was blacklisted in EU for non-compliance of international standards. The Philippine carriers were not allowed to operate in Europe, and the Philippines was downgraded to Category 2 by the US-FAA resulting in non-expansion of routes by the Philippine carriers. So those are the things that we don’t want to happen. The International Civil Aviation Organization is now very strict in regulating different aviation authorities and there is a scheduled audit to be conducted in early 2025.”
Air France will also serve the following Asian destinations this winter: Tokyo Haneda (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).
For flight schedules and fares, visit airfrance.com.
