After a successful summer as the official airline partner of the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris, Air France is turning its attention to the upcoming winter season.
With a diverse route network covering 169 destinations in 73 countries, including 85 long-haul and 84 short- and medium-haul destinations, the airline offers a comprehensive range of services for travelers. The new winter flight schedule will come into effect on September 17, 2024, and includes eight new routes and five new destinations. The winter season runs from November 2024 to March 2025 and promises to be one of the busiest in the airline's recent history.
Air France strengthens long-haul connections
The new announcements focus primarily on long-haul flights. Air France will add four new long-haul destinations to its route network, covering strategically important markets and tourist hotspots. One of the most significant news is the launch of a new flight connection to Kilimanjaro, Tanzania, which will be served three times a week with an Airbus A18-2024 from November 350, 900. This route complements the existing route to Zanzibar and makes Kilimanjaro Air France's 26th African destination - not counting the North African destinations.
Another exciting development is the addition of Salvador de Bahia in Brazil, which will also be served three times a week with Airbus A28-2024 from October 350, 900. This expands Air France's presence in Brazil, where the airline already flies to destinations such as Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Fortaleza and Belém. Frequencies to Rio and Fortaleza will even be increased to up to ten and five flights per week respectively during the winter season. The close partnership with Brazilian airline GOL will give passengers connections to an additional 40 domestic destinations, making Air France a major player in the Brazilian market.
A third new long-haul destination is Manila, Philippines, which will be served with three times a week flights from Paris starting December 7, 2024. This route is designed to meet demand for connections between Europe and Southeast Asia as Manila becomes increasingly important as both a business and tourist destination.
A special highlight for travelers to the tropics is the Maldives route, which will resume for the peak holiday season between December 20, 2024 and January 5, 2025. This route will be served with Boeing 777-300ERs and is aimed particularly at vacationers who want to spend the New Year in one of the most luxurious island paradises in the world.
Reinforcement on short and medium distances
While Air France is massively expanding its long-haul offerings, the short- and medium-haul network is also being further developed. The airline plans to offer more than 630 flights per day, with a focus on Northern Europe. Particularly noteworthy is the new connection to Kiruna, Sweden, which will be operated once a week with Airbus A21s from December 2024, 8 to March 2025, 319. Kiruna is known as one of the best destinations for northern lights tourism and offers attractive opportunities for winter sports enthusiasts.
In addition, some routes already flown in the summer will continue during the winter months, including the connection to Tangier, Morocco. This route will be offered up to three times a week between December 22, 2024 and January 3, 2025 to meet the increased demand during the holiday season.
Transavia France as an important addition
The low-cost subsidiary Transavia France, which belongs to the Air France-KLM group, will also make up an important part of the winter flight schedule. With flights to 102 destinations in 20 countries on 172 routes, Transavia is expanding its position as the busiest low-cost airline to and from Paris. Competition from other low-cost carriers such as easyJet will be particularly noticeable in the winter season, especially as easyJet is renovating its Paris bases.
Growth and strategy in the context of global aviation trends
The decision to expand the winter schedule so significantly is a clear indication of the growing interest in long-haul flights following the aviation industry's recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. Many of the new destinations reflect both tourism and economic interests, particularly the routes to Brazil and Southeast Asia. The use of aircraft such as the Airbus A350-900 and Boeing 777-300ER on these routes demonstrates Air France's strategic focus on modern, fuel-efficient jets, which are not only more environmentally friendly but also reduce operating costs.
With its strong presence in Africa and South America, as well as the expansion of its network into Southeast Asia, Air France is positioning itself as a key airline connecting Europe to high-growth markets. These expansions are part of a larger plan to compete in a highly competitive global market while reaching new audiences - from tourists looking for exotic holiday destinations to business travelers who increasingly need intercontinental connections.
Air France's 2024/2025 winter schedule shows a significant expansion and diversification of its offering. With new destinations in Tanzania, Brazil, the Philippines and Sweden, the airline offers a wide range of options for both long-haul and short-haul passengers. At the same time, the partnership with Transavia France strengthens the group's position in the highly competitive low-cost segment. These developments are not only of strategic importance for Air France, but also send a strong signal to the aviation industry as a whole, which continues to focus on recovery and expansion.
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