Manila-Paris Direct Flights To Start On Dec. 8

Passengers of the Manila-Paris direct flights that will start on Dec. 8 can set foot in the “City of Love” in style as they will be served with champagne during their 14-hour flight.

The non-stop flights to be launched by Air France will mark the return of the direct trip to the European city after 20 years and is seen to boost trade and tourism exchanges between the two countries.

In a statement, the French embassy said the connection of the Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport and Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) consolidates France’s role as a gateway to Europe for the Philippines, the only Southeast Asian country without a direct connection to the European Union.

“Definitely this is a very important milestone... We have a long standing relationship together, France and the Philippines, but having this direct flight was really once again a request, a Christmas wish from many Filipinos and also French partners,” French Ambassador Marie Fontanel said at a press briefing at Malacañang on Tuesday, Sept. 10.

Air France will operate every Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday. Each aircraft has 324 seats, 34 in the business cabin; 24 in premium; and 266 economy seats.

Noting that food and beverage are important for the French, Femke Kroese, general manager of Air France-KLM for Southeast Asia and Oceania, said a Michelin Star chef prepares the menu for passengers in the business class.

“And we are also serving champagne in all of the cabins. So in economy cabin, premium and business cabin, everybody can enjoy already a glass of champagne when taking off on our flights,” Kroese said.

“So you can arrive in Paris in style,” she added.

Fontanel said the choice of December for the launch of the route has a “strong symbolic value.”

“It’s a real Christmas present, opening the line for the first weekend of the most important ‘ber’ month. It’s also the weekend of the reopening of Notre Dame in Paris, five years after the fire that ravaged this monumental (church),” the envoy said.

The start of the direct flights will also coincide with the feast of the Immaculate Conception of Mary, a special non-working holiday in the Philippines.

Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista said the NAIA is ready for the influx of passengers bound for Paris.

“Of course, you know that NAIA is a very congested airport, and this is the reason why we are privatizing it and making some more improvements. But for these particular flights, NAIA is very much prepared. NAIA will work closely with the officials of Air France – KLM, their ground handlers, their caterers so that Air France will have smooth operations here in the country,” the transportation chief said.

“So no worries about getting some issues or problems for the passengers of these non-stop flights from Paris to Manila,” he added.

The cost of a roundtrip ticket starts at $1,258 or about P71,000. According to Kroese, the Philippine market has always been on Air France’s radar, describing it as “interesting and strategic.” The French embassy in the country approved about 37,000 visas last year.

"We have been working a lot on considering the decision to reopen and now of course the work continues in another sense we have to make this direct flight to a success and the capacity to issue more visas will be the center of our work," Fontanel said.

Aviation safety

At the same press briefing, Bautista discussed the memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed recently by the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) and the French Civil Aviation Authority that aims to enhance safety and efficiency in the country’s civil aviation sector.

“Air France is advanced in terms of aviation policies, aviation practices. And we are happy that the government of France extended this assistance to the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines for us to be ensured of safe flights and airport operations in the country,” Bautista said.

According to Bautista, the MOU will allow the CAAP to adopt best civil aviation practices, technological innovations, and environmental protection measures. It also involves the training of technical personnel and is expected to help the Philippines prepare for the audit of the International Civil Aviation Organization next year.