Air France to restore two long-range routes next summer

Air France (Paris) will be enhancing its flight schedule for summer 2016 with two additional routes. Starting in June 2016, Air France will begin service from New York (JFK) to Paris-Orly, in addition to the four daily frequencies to Paris Charles de Gaulle.

Beginning in April 2016, Air France will operate three weekly flights from Paris Charles de Gaulle to Tehran Imam Khomeini International Airport.

The daily New York-JFK to Paris-Orly service will be operated by Boeing 777-200 aircraft, equipped with 309 seats – 35 in Business, 24 in Premium Economy and 250 in Economy.

This route is part of the transatlantic joint venture with Delta Air Lines (Atlanta) and offers customers the possibility of arriving at Paris’ second busiest airport. It also enables passengers to easily connect with Air France’s domestic network on arrival at Paris-Orly.

Flight schedule (in local time)

AF37: Leaves New York-JFK at 18:05, arrives at Paris-Orly at 7:05 the following day;
AF32: Leaves Paris-Orly at 11:00, arrives at New York-JFK at 13:10.

Air France is supporting the resumption of commercial exchange with Iran and will serve Tehran from Paris-Charles de Gaulle three times a week (on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday) starting in April 2016.

Flight schedule (in local time)

AF738: Leaves Paris-Charles de Gaulle at 10:30, arrives in Tehran at 18:40;
AF755: Leaves Tehran at 7:15, arrives at Paris-Charles de Gaulle at 10:55.

Background of the New York – Paris Route

The route was launched on July 1, 1946, by Douglas DC-4. The flight lasted 23 hours 45 minutes and carried 33 passengers on board.

In 1960, Air France served New York from Paris-Orly by Boeing 707 in 8 hours 15 minutes.

In 1970, JFK airport welcomed Air France’s Boeing 747-100, then the Concorde (1977), a romance that lasted more than 25 years. In 2009, New York was the first to welcome the Airbus A380.

Background of the Paris – Tehran Route

On April 29, 1946, Air France launched a scheduled route Paris – Marseille – Tunis – Benghazi – Cairo – Beirut – Baghdad – Tehran, with a flight every two weeks.

The nonstop Paris-Tehran route was suspended in October 2008.