This year marks the 70th anniversary of direct flights between Paris and Johannesburg via Air France.
Over the past seven decades, these flights have promoted international travel and fostered cultural exchange, tourism and business opportunities between France and South Africa.
Daily direct flights
Air France now operates daily direct flights between the two cities on the Boeing 777-300ER with refurbished cabins in economy and premium economy, as well as a state-of-the-art business class experience.
‘Johannesburg remains an important destination in Air France’s extensive network of cities worldwide,’ comments Wilson Tauro, Country Manager Southern Africa for Air France-KLM. ‘This year, we are thrilled to celebrate 70 years of direct flights between the two cities – this route is incredibly popular with French and South African travellers. This milestone reflects our commitment to providing exceptional service, and is a testament to our passengers’ enduring trust and loyalty. We look forward to connecting Paris and Johannesburg for decades to come.’
Decades of connection
KLM Royal Dutch Airlines and Air France were some of the only airlines to operate repatriation flights during Covid-19. Together, they carried out 97 repatriation flights to Paris and Amsterdam from Johannesburg and Cape Town, returning 18 934 passengers home.
Increased frequency for the Rugby World Cup
This year, the Rugby World Cup will take place in France and has, naturally, seen a lot of interest from South African fans hoping to watch their country defend its title live. The airline has announced that it will increase its frequency from seven to 10 flights between Johannesburg and Paris per week during the tournament to meet this demand.
‘The Rugby World Cup is a much-anticipated and major sporting event worldwide, even more so for South Africa as the defending champions, so, naturally, we expect the demand during this period to increase,’ adds Tauro. ‘We are ecstatic we can add three flights weekly to our current daily flights between Johannesburg and Paris to satisfy this demand. The additional flights are performing well, and we look forward to welcoming South African rugby fans on board.’
Air France’s history
- Under Union de Transports Aériens, Air France first flew from Paris to Johannesburg in 1953 on a Douglas DC-4 aircraft that carried 64 passengers. Being over 8 000km away, the aircraft had to stop and refuel in Tripoli, Kano, Brazzaville, and Livingstone during its twice-monthly trip before landing in Johannesburg. The trip took a whopping two days and five hours to complete. In January 1954, because of increasing demand, the flight doubled in frequency and the service changed to weekly flights between the countries.
- In 1964, the flight operated on a Douglas DC-8 aircraft was shortened to just one stop in Brazzaville. The new aircraft carried 249 passengers and completed its journey in just 11 hours and 17 minutes.
- In 1983, the airline operated the flight on a Boeing 747-200 allowing passengers to fly directly to Johannesburg for the very first time without a single stop to refuel. This allowed the 271 passengers on board to reach Johannesburg in just 10 hours and 30 minutes. With the increase in demand, the service was upped to three flights between the cities per week.
- Significant aircraft upgrades were introduced on the route in the years ahead, bringing the total number of passengers to 516 up until 2023 on the popular A380. In fact, Air France’s A380 to Johannesburg became the first A380 to fly between Europe to Africa and serviced the route until 2023 when the Boeing 777-300ER was introduced.
Air France currently has a promotional offer for all Air France flights originating in South Africa booked on their website: airfrance.co.za. Passengers will benefit from a 17% discount on the applicable airfare, Airport taxes and surcharges. This offer is valid until 23 June 2023. Terms and conditions apply.
Pictures: Supplied
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