Tag Archives: 777-228

Air France to restore two long-range routes next summer

Air France Boeing 777-228 ER F-GSPY (msn 32305) LAX (Michael B. Ing). Image: 907499.

Air France (Paris) will be enhancing its flight schedule for summer 2016 with two additional routes. Starting in June 2016, Air France will begin service from New York (JFK) to Paris-Orly, in addition to the four daily frequencies to Paris Charles de Gaulle.

Beginning in April 2016, Air France will operate three weekly flights from Paris Charles de Gaulle to Tehran Imam Khomeini International Airport.

The daily New York-JFK to Paris-Orly service will be operated by Boeing 777-200 aircraft, equipped with 309 seats – 35 in Business, 24 in Premium Economy and 250 in Economy.

This route is part of the transatlantic joint venture with Delta Air Lines (Atlanta) and offers customers the possibility of arriving at Paris’ second busiest airport. It also enables passengers to easily connect with Air France’s domestic network on arrival at Paris-Orly.

Flight schedule (in local time)

AF37: Leaves New York-JFK at 18:05, arrives at Paris-Orly at 7:05 the following day;
AF32: Leaves Paris-Orly at 11:00, arrives at New York-JFK at 13:10.

Air France is supporting the resumption of commercial exchange with Iran and will serve Tehran from Paris-Charles de Gaulle three times a week (on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday) starting in April 2016.

Flight schedule (in local time)

AF738: Leaves Paris-Charles de Gaulle at 10:30, arrives in Tehran at 18:40;
AF755: Leaves Tehran at 7:15, arrives at Paris-Charles de Gaulle at 10:55.

Background of the New York – Paris Route

The route was launched on July 1, 1946, by Douglas DC-4. The flight lasted 23 hours 45 minutes and carried 33 passengers on board.

In 1960, Air France served New York from Paris-Orly by Boeing 707 in 8 hours 15 minutes.

In 1970, JFK airport welcomed Air France’s Boeing 747-100, then the Concorde (1977), a romance that lasted more than 25 years. In 2009, New York was the first to welcome the Airbus A380.

Background of the Paris – Tehran Route

On April 29, 1946, Air France launched a scheduled route Paris – Marseille – Tunis – Benghazi – Cairo – Beirut – Baghdad – Tehran, with a flight every two weeks.

The nonstop Paris-Tehran route was suspended in October 2008.

Copyright Photo: Michael B. Ing/AirlinersGallery.com. The restored Paris (Orly) – New York (JFK) route will be operated with Boeing 777-200 ER aircraft including the pictured 777-228 ER F-GSPY (msn 32305) arriving at Los Angeles International Airport.

Air France aircraft slide show: AG Airline Slide Show

AG Aviation Gifts and Keepsakes

Air France is coming to Vancouver

Air France (Paris) is coming to Vancouver. The airline will launch the Paris (CDG)-Vancouver route on March 29, 2015 with five weekly Boeing 777-200 ER weekly flights.

Copyright Photo: Ole Simon/AirlinersGallery.com. Boeing 777-228 ER F-GSPB (msn 29003) taxies at the Paris (CDG) hub.

Video: Just Planes goes for a ride on the Boeing 747-400:

Air France Aircraft Slide Show: AG Slide Show

The pilot’s strike against Air France ends, the airline attempts to return to a full schedule

Air France (Paris) is attempting to get back to a full schedule after the strike by its pilots has ended. The airline issued this statement yesterday (September 28):

Air France welcomes the end of the strike action, which it called for firmly and repeatedly. The strike has been costly and damaging. It has lasted too long.

The Company deeply regrets that despite lengthy negotiations since the beginning of the conflict, enabling much progress to be made, the balanced and reasonable protocol to end the conflict proposed by Management has not been signed by the unions. Air France regrets that the pilots’ unions have not seized these opportunities.

Air France confirms its decision to continue the accelerated development of Transavia in France, one of the Group’s key growth factors. This development will take place in the planned competitive economic and social conditions (in particular: development beyond 14 aircraft, a single fleet of Boeing 737, Transavia France operating and remuneration conditions, transfer of Air France pilots on a voluntary basis). As announced, this project will quickly create 1,000 jobs in France (including 250 pilot jobs).

The end of the conflict strengthens the Company’s determination to develop its business model to reinforce its leadership in the context of constructive and balanced social dialogue. The strategic interest of the Company must remain the top priority.

Air France is now totally mobilized to regain its customers’ trust, restore serenity among staff and promote corporate cohesion.

Alexandre de Juniac, Chairman and CEO of Air France-KLM, declared: “The management team, Frédéric Gagey and I are well aware of the trauma that our customers, our employees and our partners have just experienced with this long strike. Our priority is now to join forces around the Air France-KLM group’s growth and competitiveness project, Perform 2020. I would like to thank all those who, in the belief that growth is within our reach if we provide ourselves with the necessary means, have supported our development projects. I would also like to thank all the staff at Air France who, over the past two weeks, have done a remarkable job in extremely difficult circumstances. To all our customers and our staff, I want to express our confidence and our commitment to restore the links and regain momentum”.

The company issued this statement about returning to a full schedule and today’s flights:

Following the end of strike action, Air France is gradually resuming its flight schedule.

Flights already cancelled for Monday September 29 will remain cancelled. Air France operated 45% of its scheduled flights yesterday.

For today, Monday September 29, 2014, Air France is planning to operate almost 60% of its scheduled flights.

The situation will gradually return to normal over 2 to 3 days due to operational and regulatory constraints.

As aircraft have not flown for several days, mandatory checks are required before operations resume. In addition, aircraft and crews must be repositioned at all Air France stations throughout the world and flight crews must be given their legal rest periods before carrying out return flights.

Last-minute changes and disruptions may still occur.

Air France advises its customers to check flight information before going to the airport and not to go to the airport if their flight is cancelled.

The strike, which still did not resolve the underlying issues, may have cost the company over $600 million. Read the analysis by Bloomberg Businessweek: CLICK HERE

Read the analysis by the New York Times: CLICK HERE

Copyright Photo: Jay Selman/AirlinersGallery.com. Boeing 777-228 ER F-GSPD (msn 29005) completes its final approach to the runway at John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK).

Air France: AG Slide Show