Air France is back in the Philippines after two decades, with the launch of its inaugural non-stop flight to Manila International Airport (MNL) on December 8, 2024.
Flight AF 208 departed Paris’ Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) at 23:30 local time on December 7, 2024. After a flight time of less than 13 hours, the A350-941 aircraft, with registration F-HTYJ, landed in Manila at 19:26 local time the following day.
The much-awaited flight was welcomed by officials including French Ambassador to the Philippines and Micronesia Marie Fontanel and Philippines’ Department of Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista.
The three-times weekly flights were announced in September 2024. The A350-900 service offers 34 seats in business class, 24 seats in premium economy and 266 in economy.
The Paris to Manila route ceased in 2004 following the merger of Air France and KLM, after which Air France maintained its presence in the Philippines through a codeshare agreement with KLM.
In a social media post, the Embassy of France said the renewed flights set the stage for stronger French-Philippine ties in transport, science, tourism, and culture.
As the gateway to the Philippines, from December 7, fly to Manila. Exploring all the treasures of this 7,000-island archipelago will be a challenge worth taking!Book now: https://t.co/Xd4YuxyGFn pic.twitter.com/crOx5UGXHP
— Air France (@airfrance) September 10, 2024
