Air France has resumed non-stop service between Manila and Paris after a 20-year hiatus, marking a milestone in air travel between the Philippines and the European Union.
In a Facebook post by the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), the inaugural flight, AF209, departed from NAIA Terminal 3 in Manila on Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024, at 9:50 PM and arrived at Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport at 5:50 AM the following day.
A send-off ceremony was held at NAIA Terminal 3, attended by Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista, Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco, French Ambassador to the Philippines Marie Fontanel, and New NAIA Infra Corp. General Manager Lito Alvarez.
Air France will operate three weekly flights between Manila and Paris.
Flight AF209 departs Manila's NAIA Terminal 3 at 9:50 PM on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays, arriving in Paris at 5:50 AM the next day.
The return flight, AF208, departs Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport at 11:20 PM on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays, arriving in Manila at 7:30 PM the following day.
READ: Air France takes off to Manila: Non-stop Paris flights start Dec. 7
The new route is Air France's first direct service to the Philippines in two decades and the first direct link between the Philippines and the European Union in five years.