Air France Plans Manila Return After 20-Year Absence
Air France is returning to the Philippines’ capital Manila during the winter 2024-25 season, more than two decades after last serving the city.
Air France is returning to the Philippines’ capital Manila during the winter 2024-25 season, more than two decades after last serving the city.
Beginning Dec. 7, the airline will link Manila’s Ninoy Aquino International Airport (MNL) with its Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport hub three times per week. Service will be offered using Airbus A350-900 aircraft.
Air France last operated flights to the Philippines on its own metal in 2004 before ceasing the service following its merger with KLM. Since then, the carrier has maintained a presence in the country through a codeshare agreement on KLM’s flights from Amsterdam to Manila.
Currently, KLM offers five flights per week to Manila, operating via Taipei’s Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport. However, service will reduce to four flights per week starting from the beginning of the winter season, according to data from OAG Schedules Analyser.
Air France’s new route to Manila will bring the SkyTeam alliance member’s service to 14 destinations in the Asia-Pacific region this winter, joining other cities such as Bangkok; Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam; Mumbai, India; and Singapore. Currently, Manila is served by just one nonstop flight from Europe via Turkish Airlines from Istanbul Airport, along with the one-stop flights from Amsterdam operated by KLM.
Sabre Market Intelligence data shows that Manila-London was the largest Philippines-Europe O&D city pair during 2023, attracting 291,000 two-way passengers. Manila-Amsterdam was second with 125,000, followed by Manila-Paris in third with 116,000.
Air France’s introduction of Manila will be its fifth new route for the winter 2024-25 season. The airline will also launch new routes to Salvador de Bahia, Brazil, with three flights a week starting Oct. 28; Kilimanjaro, Tanzania, with three flights a week starting Nov. 18, extending from Zanzibar; Malé, Maldives, with up to two flights a week starting Dec. 20; and Kiruna, Sweden, with one flight a week starting Dec. 21.
