Paris, France – Reported by Elite Traveler, the Private Jet Lifestyle Magazine
Starting 6 June 2011, Air France will operate a daily A380 service between Paris and Washington.
The national capital of the United States will thereby become the 2nd U.S. destination served by the airline’s super jumbo, after New York, launched one year ago.
Flight Schedules (local time) :
-AF028: Depart Paris-Charles de Gaulle :10:40 – Arrive Washington D.C. 13 :00
-AF039 :Depart Washington D.C. :16:25 – Arrive Paris-Charles de Gaulle 05:45 (+1)
Flight bookings and ticket sales are open beginning today, 30 November 2010.
In June 2011, Air France will thus operate the A380 to 5 destinations out of Paris-Charles de Gaulle : New York-JFK, Johannesburg, Tokyo, Montreal and Washington.
With the A380, Air France can rationalize its frequencies on these busy routes by combining two flights which leave at similar times, while offering the same seat capacity at a 20% reduction in operating costs. The main deck of the A380 boasts equivalent capacity to a Boeing 777-200 and the upper deck of an Airbus A340-300.
Air France’s A380 is currently equipped with 538 seats, divided between three classes: La Première (First) with 9 seats on the main deck, Business Class, comprising 80 seats on the upper deck, and Voyageur (Economy), with 449 seats divided between the two decks. Starting in summer 2011, the A380s will be progressively equipped with Premium Voyageur, situated between the Business and Voyageur cabins, offering 9 seats in Première, 80 in Business, 38 in Premium Voyageur and 389 in Voyageur.
“With Washington, three of the five destinations served by Air France’s A380 during summer 2011 will be in North America. This effectively illustrates the airline’s investment in the North trans-Atlantic network. The A380, highly appreciated by our customers, will strengthen our assets in one of the world’s most competitive markets”, said Patrick Roux, Senior Vice President Americas.
The A380 is the most environmentally-friendly aircraft – with less than 75g of CO2 produced per passenger kilometer – and the quietest aircraft in its category. The roomier cabin offers increased comfort and space. On board this super jumbo, Air France has innovated with special lighting ambiences that change depending on the various stages of the flight, special areas geared towards relaxation and conviviality, and a brand new in-flight entertainment system, featuring larger video screens.