-
Air France
- IATA/ICAO Code:
- AF/AFR
- Airline Type:
- Full Service Carrier
- Hub(s):
- Paris Charles De Gaulle Airport
- Year Founded:
- 1933
- Alliance:
- SkyTeam
- Airline Group:
- Air France-KLM
- CEO:
- Anne Rigail
- Country:
- France
- Region:
- Europe
Air France and Frankfurt Airport are celebrating the diamond anniversary of Air France's Paris-Frankfurt route which has now operated for 75 years. The airline first began serving Frankfurt back in August 1947 and now offers up to six daily flights from Paris.
Air France and Frankfurt reach 75 years
On August 9th, 1947, an Air France Douglas DC-3 touched down at Frankfurt Airport (FRA) for the very first time, marking the beginning of a service that would operate continuously for 75 years and counting.
Today marks the 75th anniversary of the Air France-Frankfurt partnership which has seen the French carrier continuously fly between Frankfurt Airport and the French capital.
To commemorate the occasion, Air France created a touching video exploring its history with the airport.
Over the decades, Air France has operated various aircraft to Frankfurt, such as its Douglas DC-4 fleet in the 1950s. According to Frankfurt-Live, the French carrier flew its Sud Aviation Caravelle jet in 1958 which became the second-ever jet aircraft to land in Frankfurt.
Carl Schelleman, Germany Director of Air France-KLM, said,
"Frankfurt was and is an important location for Air France. The flights between the Main metropolis and Paris have been among our most important inner-European connections from the very beginning. We are happy that this traditional connection to Frankfurt has been in existence for 75 years and that we are proud of it be able to offer passengers from the Rhine-Main area up to six daily flights to Paris-Charles de Gaulle and from there onward flights within the entire global Air France route network."
A fascinating history together
Air France's very first service from Paris to Frankfurt originated from Paris-Le Bourget Airport (LBG), now the home of the Paris Airshow and once the primary airport in Paris. However, from 1951, Air France switched to Paris Orly Airport (ORY), which took over from Le Bourget as the main airport in France's capital.
The carrier launched other services from the German airport over the years, including Bordeaux, Lyon, Lille, Marseille, Nice and Toulouse and destinations further afield, such as Chicago.
Air France moved over to Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) once it opened in 1974, with the airline's famous Concorde supersonic jet making its first appearance in Frankfurt in 1976.
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Up to six daily flights
Air France operates up to six daily flights between Paris and Frankfurt, tapping into a market of around 10 million people in Germany's Rhine-Ruhr region.
The Air France-KLM Germany team, along with Air France KLM Martinair Cargo, recently relocated to the new offices in the Global Business Village Gateway Gardens at Frankfurt Airport in April. The new HQ is within walking distance of Frankfurt Airport's Terminal 2 and will be the base of the Air France and Frankfurt Airport partnership that looks set to hit 100 years.
How many times have you flown between Paris and Frankfurt with Air France over the years? Let us know any interesting stories in the comments.
Source: Frankfurt-Live