Air France Introduces Flights to Abu Dhabi

DALLAS - Air France (AF) has announced the opening of a new route, connecting Paris (CDG) with the city of Abu Dhabi (AUH) for the forthcoming winter 2023/2024 season.

This new long-haul flight will start October 29, 2023, at the beginning of the low season. The route will be operated daily, leaving Charles de Gaulle Airport at 21:15 and arriving at the UAE capital at 06:45 the next day, all in local times.

Air France said about the city of Abu Dhabi, "It is a vibrant city that is both historical and modern. The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, the Qasr Al Hosn Fort and the Louvre Abu Dhabi, designed by Jean Nouvel and inaugurated in 2017, are all iconic examples of the artistic and architectural heritage of this exquisitely beautiful metropolis."

Air France flight 638 will be flown with the Airbus A350-900 fleet, of which the airline has taken delivery of 20 units already since 2019. The A350 can carry 324 passengers in a three-class configuration with updated Business Class seats but lacks the famous "La Premiere" First Class cabin.

The strong partnership between Air France (AF) and Middle East Airlines (ME) enhances connectivity of the SkyTeam alliance in the region. Photo: Adrian Nowakowski/Airways.

Expanded Presence in the Middle East

The Winter season in the Northern Hemisphere is a great time for tourism in the Middle East, as the calm climate and mild temperatures encourage visitors to stay in the respective countries of this territory.

Air France is taking advantage of this, and in its October to March flight schedule, the airline will be flying to four more destinations in the Middle East, including Beirut (BEY), Dubai (DXB), Cairo (CAI) and Tel Aviv (TLV), adding up to a total of 49 weekly flights from Paris.

The entire presence of AF in the region is supported by its widebody fleet, where all routes are operated by either the Boeing 777 family or the mentioned Airbus A350.

The excellent performance of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner has made possible the opening of long and skinny routes like Paris to Raleigh-Durham. Photo: Lorenzo Giacobbo/Airways.

Additional Winter Routes Westward

Aside from the progress AF is making in the Middle East, the French carrier has unveiled more plans for this Winter season regarding its western transatlantic routes.

The company will maintain its recently inaugurated services from Paris (CDG) to Ottawa (YOW). It will also resume flights between Pointe-a-Pitre (PTP) and Montreal (YUL) with its Central-American Airbus A320 fleet.

Finally, AF will add more frequencies from CDG to Dallas (DFW), Montreal (YUL) and Vancouver (YVR), and Air France will be inaugurating a new direct service to Raleigh-Durham (RDU) from October 30, operated by Boeing 787-9 aircraft.

https://airwaysmag.com/air-france-klm-records-increase-in-q1-revenue/

Featured image: Adrian Nowakowski/Airways.