Air France adds flights to US ahead of Summer Games in Paris

Air France is adding long-haul flights this summer in response to growing demand, especially from the US, ahead of the Olympic Games in Paris.

The French arm of Air France-KLM expects to offer 9% more summer capacity than last year on long-distance routes, it said Monday in a statement. It’s resuming flights between Paris and Minneapolis, starting service to Phoenix and adding frequencies to Raleigh-Durham in North Carolina, the carrier said.

The transatlantic push comes less than a month after Air France-KLM reported a fourth-quarter loss and capacity for 2023 that fell short of its target. The Franco-Dutch airline group said then that geopolitical tensions kept travelers away from countries near Israel and conflict-prone parts of Africa, even as broader demand remained strong.   

The Paris 2024 Games run from July 26 to Aug. 11, and along with the Paralympic Games are expected to attract millions of visitors to the French capital. Air France, one of the many sponsors of the events, said it will fly to the US more than 210 times a week during summer, and is also adding flights to Abu Dhabi, Tokyo and Tanzania.

Closer in, Air France said Monday that it’s introducing seasonal routes between Paris and Verona, Narvik-Lofoten in Norway, and Kalamata, Greece. The carrier also will operate two special flights between Los Angeles and Nice, on the French riviera, for the Cannes Film Festival taking place in May.