For the first time ever—and just in time for the 2024 Summer Olympics—Phoenix and Paris will soon be connected by a nonstop flight.
Air France this week announced that it will operate three weekly flights between Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport and its hub in Paris, Charles de Gaulle International Airport, starting May 23.
Flights will run on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, departing Paris at 10:10 a.m. (local time) and arriving in Phoenix at 12:10 p.m. (local time), with the reverse flights leaving Phoenix at 2:10 p.m. (local time) and arriving in Paris the following day at 9:15 a.m. (local time). The airline estimates flights to Paris will take approximately 10 hours and five minutes, while the return will take about 11 hours. As of press time, round-trip flights between Phoenix and Paris started at $1,655 for economy seats and at $5,460 for business class.
All flights will operate on Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft, which feature 30 lie-flat business class seats, 21 premium economy seats, and 228 economy class seats. Sadly, they’re not the planes with the French flag carrier’s new business class cabin (featuring pod-like lie-flat seats, 4K high-definition screens, and sommelier-selected wine).
This new flight path marks only the fourth direct route and third destination in Europe from the capital of Arizona. The others are American Airlines and British Airways flights to London’s Heathrow Airport and flights with low-cost carrier Condor Airlines to Germany’s Frankfurt Airport.
During a press conference announcing the overseas expansion, Phoenix mayor Kate Gallego said, “Adding nonstop service to Paris is a major milestone that demonstrates our commitment to providing convenient and efficient travel options to and from Phoenix. As our city continues to grow and become a destination for booming industries, I’m confident that direct service to Paris will unlock exciting possibilities for exploration and new business opportunities.”
Beyond Phoenix, Air France recently announced it would resume daily flights to and from Minneapolis starting May 13. The airline had been flying between the City of Lakes and the City of Light for more than a decade when it pulled back last summer, allowing its SkyTeam partner, Delta Air Lines, to operate the route instead. Also, Air France will beef up its Raleigh-Durham departures starting June 3, increasing to seven flights per week (from the current three).
These additions and changes will bring the total number of U.S. cities Air France will fly from this summer to 17: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, Minneapolis, New York City (JFK), Newark, Phoenix, Raleigh-Durham, San Francisco, Seattle, and Washington, D.C.
