• Non-stop Manila-Paris flights to begin December 8 after a 20-year hiatus
• The Air France service will operate three times a week
• The launch is in time for the Christmas season and the reopening of the Notre Dame Cathedral following five years of restoration due to a fire
Non-stop Manila-Paris flights will begin on December 8 after a 20-year hiatus.
The thrice-weekly Air France service will operate on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays.
The 14-hour flight from Charles de Gaulle (CDG) Airport in Paris to Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) will use Airbus A350-900, offering 34 seats in the Business cabin, 24 seats in Premium, and 266 in Economy.
The resumption of service coincides with the Christmas season and the reopening of the Notre Dame Cathedral after five years of restoration due to a fire.
Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista joined French Ambassador Marie Fontanel at a press briefing in Malacañang where Air France general manager Kemke Kroese officially announced the direct flights — the first non-stop service from Europe to the Philippines under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s administration.
In a statement, the French embassy said the connection of CDG and NAIA consolidates France’s role as a gateway to Europe for the Philippines, the only Southeast Asian country without a direct connection to the European Union.
The move is expected to boost trade and tourism exchanges between Manila, France, and the European Union, Kroese said.
She added the flights will complement existing services of KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, which is currently operating on other days of the week — Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday.
Air France’s return to the Philippine market “signifies a very important milestone in further strengthening the long-standing bilateral relations between the Philippines and France,” Fontanel said.
The move also aligns with France’s broader efforts to deepen strategic partnerships with the Philippines, highlighted by the opening of a resident defense mission in June 2024 and the relocation of the French embassy to new premises earlier this year.
Air France is set to reopen an office in Manila following the launch of the direct flights.
“The direct non-stop service between the Philippines and France will probably most likely boost trade, tourism, and exchanges between our two countries and more generally, with the European Union,” Fontanel said.
France issues 37,000 visas every year, making it the top European Union country in visa issuance.
Bautista said documentary requirements had to be completed as well as securing airport slot assignment before the flights could be announced.
He added that NAIA will work closely with officials of Air France to ensure the airline has smooth operations in Manila.
Aviation cooperation agreement
In a related development, the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) signed a memorandum of agreement (MOU) with the French Civil Aviation Authority to improve safety and efficiency in the country’s civil aviation sector.
“This is to assist our agency for capacity building in improving safety and efficiency in managing the civil aviation of the country,” said Bautista in a separate statement from the Presidential Communications Office.
“Air France is advance(d) in terms of aviation policies, aviation practices. And we are happy that the Government of France extended this assistance to the (CAAP) for us to be ensured of safe flights and airport operations in the country,” he added.
Bautista described the MOU as a “very extensive cooperation” wherein CAAP will adopt best civil aviation practices, technological innovations, and environmental protection measures.
The agreement also includes the training of technical personnel.
For her part, Fontanel said the signing of the MOU was part of the “long-standing cooperation” between the French Civil Aviation Authority and its Philippine counterpart.
She said the agreement was forged in 2018 and is renewed every two years.
