Air France celebrates 80 years of flying from Paris to Manchester Airport

French national carrier, Air France, has celebrated 80 years since its first flight from Paris to Manchester Airport on 16th June 1946.

The historic service first dropped off one passenger that day and picked up a VIP party of 18 for the return journey. Shortly afterwards, Air France began operating the route three times weekly.

Today, Air France operates up to four daily flights between Manchester and Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport, connecting the North West of England with the airline’s global network of 170 destinations across 83 countries.

Recent booking data highlights Manchester’s continued importance within Air France’s international network. Aside from France, the most popular countries booked by customers travelling from Manchester include Canada, Mauritius, Nigeria, Peru and the United States. Passengers taking advantage of the Air France service into Manchester have been travelling from France, as well Brazil, Canada, China, Nigeria and the United States.

Jerome Salemi, General Manager Air France-KLM UK & Ireland, said:

“Manchester has been part of Air France’s story for eight decades and remains one of our most important regional gateways in the UK today. Over the years, the route has continuously evolved alongside customer demand be it for business trips, holidays or visits to friends and relatives. We are proud to continue connecting the Northwest to our global network through Paris Charles de Gaulle.”

Stephen Turner, Chief Commercial Officer at Manchester Airport, added:

“We’re proud to connect the North with the world, and our longstanding partnership with Air France has been central to that for almost all of the airport’s history. It’s wonderful to be able to celebrate 80 years of that partnership today – a partnership that continues to link thousands of people from our region to Paris and beyond, every single week.”