The Department of Transportation (DOTr) said Tuesday Air France will start a thrice-weekly non-stop Manila-Paris service on Dec. 8, 2024.
DOTr Secretary Jaime Bautista said this is the first non-stop service from Europe to the Philippines under the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
Bautista said documentary requirements had to be completed and slot assignment had to be secured before the flights could be announced.
France Ambassador to the Philippines Marie Fontane thanked the Philippine government for its support to the direct flights to Manila after an absence of 20 years.
An Airbus 350-900—configured as a tri-class—will fly 14 hours from Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris to NAIA, according to Air France/KLM general manager Kemke Kroese.
Capt. Stanley Ng, president and chief operating officer of Philippine Airlines (PAL), said the country’s flag carrier was also studying the possibility of a direct flight from Manila to Paris in France.
“It’s still in the pipeline. However, due to the supply chain issues and pending delivery of the plane, we’re still figuring out when is the right time to do that,” Ng said.
