Abu Dhabi International Airport saw the arrival of Air France’s Airbus A330 on its first nonstop flight between Paris and Abu Dhabi. Air France flight AF 3848 and was welcomed by the Chairman of Abu Dhabi Airport’s Company (ADAC), H.E. Khalifa Al Mazrouei and other high ranking officials in a ceremony celebrating Air France’s inaugural flight.

In the spirit of mutual co-operation and development that the new route highlights, a delegation of Abu Dhabi Government officials, headed by H.E. Sheikha Lubna Al Qasimi, the UAE Minister of Foreign Trade, alongside senior French officials, including the Ambassador of France to the UAE, H.E. Alain Azouaou, witnessed the departure of the inaugural nonstop Air France flight to Paris, which departed 30 minutes after midnight following the inaugural ceremony.

Al Mazrouei said: “Air France’s arrival in Abu Dhabi is an important event for ADAC and the emirate of Abu Dhabi as a whole. By attracting one of the world’s largest carriers to the UAE capital, we are directly responding to the growing demand for more direct flights to Paris, a leading European hub.”

“Over the last few months, ADAC has been working closely with the Air France-KLM group to ensure that we deliver a value-added product and service to our passengers as well as further opening the options to travelers that want to visit Abu Dhabi. In doing so, we get closer to realising ADAC’s mission of pursuing opportunities that strengthen the position of Abu Dhabi International Airport as a major aviation hub in the Gulf Region.”

Pierre de Saint-Albin, Air France KLM General Manager for the Gulf, Saudi Arabia, Iran and Pakistan, said: “We are excited about the new Abu Dhabi-Paris. This is an outcome that confirms the excellent working partnership between Air France and ADAC, and tonight’s celebrations affirm the strong ties between our two respective nations. We look forward to developing this relationship further in the future. Air France now offers the earliest arrival time in Paris (05h45 am), convenient to reach Paris down town before the rush hours and offering multiple connecting opportunities to Europe, The Americas and Africa.”

With the new route’s introduction, from 3 May, the Air France-KLM group now offers up to 10 weekly, nonstop, flights out of Abu Dhabi International Airport, to their respective hubs of Paris – Charles de Gaulle and Amsterdam – Schiphol offering additional travel alternatives.