DALLAS — Days before the official kickoff of the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, Air France (AF) named its latest Airbus A350 after the host city, ‘Paris’.
The aircraft has rolled out fresh off the factory with the registration F-HUVJ, featuring the name ‘Paris’ and the official logo of the Paris 2024 Olympic games on the front of its fuselage. The aircraft is set to join the rest of the fleet this afternoon, and it will operate the first commercial flight to Hong Kong (HKG) this evening.
The aircraft is equipped with 48 Business Class seats, 32 Premium Economy seats, and 212 Economy seats. It will be utilized across France’s extensive network, including destinations such as New York (JFK), Santiago de Chile (SCL), Hong Kong (HKG), and Antananarivo (TNR).
Since 2019, AF has restarted their old tradition of naming its aircraft after French cities, promoting different regions of France worldwide. ‘Paris’ is the latest aircraft to join the fleet, following ‘Lyon’, ‘Saint-Denis de la Réunion’ and ‘Grasse’.
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Air France and the Olympics
The French national Airline decided to name the aircraft after the host city, highlighting the pride felt by the company’s 39,000 employees, who have played a role in organising this event.
AF plans to carry 15% of Olympic athletes, 35% of Paralympic athletes and 13% of members of the “Olympic and Paralympic family”. With an extensive advertising campaign launched by the airline, AF expects up to 125,000 customers per day this summer.
In support of Paris's bid to host the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, Air France decorated its aircraft in the city’s colours in 2016. Eleven aircraft were adorned with this design, which lasted until September 2017. The aircraft featured a stylized Eiffel Tower, with the number 24 incorporated into the logo.
On 9 August 2021, the Olympic flag was flown back to Paris on board an Air France flight after the closing ceremony of the Tokyo 2020 Games. The flag was welcomed at Paris – Charles de Gaulle (CDG) by the airline staff, the French delegation led by Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo and Tony Estanguet, President of the Paris 2024 Games Organizing Committee.
Immersive tour of ‘Paris’
Air France has set up a dedicated exhibition space at the Palais de Tokyo from July 27 to August 11, 2024. The 850-square-meter area will offer a variety of activities and will be open to visitors of all ages free of charge.
One of the highlights of the exhibition is the cockpit of the ‘Paris’ aircraft, where visitors can enjoy an engaging virtual reality experience. Additionally, the airline is showcasing its latest Business class cabin, which features a new sliding door for enhanced comfort and privacy.
The airline will also install large information screens showing the company’s commitment towards sustainable development and decarbonisation through sustainable aviation fuel, fleet renewal, eco-piloting practices and intermodality.
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Exploring Airline History Volume I
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David H. Stringer, the History Editor for AIRWAYS Magazine, has chronicled the story of the commercial aviation industry with his airline history articles that have appeared in AIRWAYS over two decades. Here, for the first time, is a compilation of those articles.
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December 2024
