Air France Extends Nonstop Service From Canadian Capital Through Summer 2024

The Canadian capital city of Ottawa will continue to be connected to Europe through the summer of 2024. Air France has announced a second extension of the service between Paris’ Charles De Gaulle (CDG) and Ottawa International Airport (YOW) that began in June 2023. With France hosting the Summer Olympics in July and August the announcement provides another opportunity for Canadian sports fans to attend the biggest sporting event of the 2024 calendar.

Though YOW has a number of international destinations across the Americas, CDG remains the airport’s only direct transatlantic route. Its importance post-pandemic was highlighted by the Ottawa International Airport Authority’s vice president of communications, Krista Kealey. “Securing this route was vital to the airport’s recovery and to reconnecting our community with Europe and the rest of the world,” said Kealey.

Bus Connections

In addition to the non-stop YOW-CDG service, Air France offers a connecting bus service from Ottawa to its flight departures from Montréal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport (YUL). The airline has been offering up to three daily services from YUL to CDG at differing times of the year, with a fourth daily service being added in Summer 2024 in the run-up to the Olympic Games. The bus service from downtown Ottawa is also utilized by Air France’s partner airline KLM to connect with flights from YUL to Schiphol Amsterdam (AMS). Air France has also offered a shuttle bus between Quebec City and YUL to supplement its seasonal service to Quebec City’s Jean Lesage International Airport (YQB).

Air France has been operating a 224-seater Airbus A330-200 with a 3-class configuration (36 in Business, 21 in Premium Economy, and 167 in Economy) between YOW and CDG. The economic value of services linking Ottawa with mainland Europe was extolled by Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe. “The exciting part is we are able to bring people to Ottawa for events and tourism and for business coming from France and other destinations in that environment,” Sutcliffe told CTV News Ottawa.

Ottawa is one of 23 North American destinations currently announced that will be served by Air France over the summer of 2024. The airline recently announced that it will be resuming a seasonal Boeing 787-9 service from CDG to Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport (MSP) from May 13. Delta Air Lines operated the route last summer as part of the transatlantic joint venture the French and American carriers operate in collaboration with partners KLM and Virgin Atlantic.

In addition, Air France has advised that the seasonal service from CDG to Raleigh-Durham, N.C. will extend through the summer of 2024. The Airbus A350-900 flight will operate up to seven times weekly an increase from the three times per week the airline operated the service in the 2023-24 Northern Winter schedule.

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John Flett

John has always had a passion for aviation and through a career with Air New Zealand has gained a strong understanding of aviation operations and the strategic nature of the industry.

During his career with the airline, John held multiple leadership roles and was involved in projects such as the introduction of both the 777-200 and -300 type aircraft and the development of the IFE for the 777-300. He was also part of a small team that created and published the internal communications magazines for Air New Zealand’s pilots, cabin crew and ground staff, balancing a mix of corporate and social content.

John is educated to postgraduate level achieving a Masters degree with Distinction in Airline and Airport Management. He has been the course director of an undergraduate commercial pilot training programme at a leading London university and a member of Heathrow Community Trust’s ‘Communities for Tomorrow’ panel.

John is currently living in Canada and is contracted as an external instructor for aviation-related organizations.

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