Air France has just revealed its newest destination in the United States, though this “expansion” might not be as exciting as it sounds at first.
In this post:
Air France adds Paris to Raleigh-Durham route
As of October 30, 2023, Air France will launch a new flight between Paris (CDG) and Raleigh-Durham (RDU). The flight will operate 3x weekly with the following schedule:
AF692 Paris to Raleigh departing 1:30PM arriving 5:35PM
AF693 Raleigh to Paris departing 7:45PM arriving 8:25AM (+1 day)
The 4,052-mile flight is blocked at 9hr5min westbound and 7hr40min eastbound. Air France will use a Boeing 787-9 for the service, featuring 276 seats. This includes 30 business class seats, 21 premium economy seats, and 225 economy class seats.
This will be the first regularly scheduled international Boeing 787 service to Raleigh. As far as long haul routes go, the airport otherwise has flights on American to London (LHR), on Delta to Paris (CDG), and on Icelandair to Keflavik (KEF).
The catch with this new service
This service is of course exciting, since it’s always fun to see a new international airline at an airport that doesn’t otherwise get much long haul service.
The catch is that Air France’s new flight between Paris and Raleigh replaces Delta’s existing frequencies in the market. Delta has flown between Paris and Raleigh quite some time, with 6x weekly frequencies in summer, and 3x weekly frequencies in winter. For the winter season, Air France will be taking over Delta’s service in the market.
It remains to be seen what happens in summer — will Delta once again take over the route, will Air France continue to operate it, or will the two airlines split operations?
Keep in mind there’s a transatlantic joint venture between Delta, Air France-KLM, and Virgin Atlantic, whereby airlines can coordinate schedules and fares, and share revenue. This allows airlines to do more centralized route planning.
So clearly as part of the joint venture, the decision was made that resources are best allocated by Air France operating this route, rather than Delta. For what it’s worth, Delta has operated a Boeing 767 in the market, so this represents a capacity increase.
I’m not sure if Air France just had some spare aircraft for winter, if Delta decided a Boeing 767 could best be used elsewhere, if the route had more demand than the current 767’s capacity, or what.
Bottom line
As of October 30, 2023, Air France will launch a new 3x weekly flight between Paris and Raleigh-Durham using a Boeing 787. It’s cool to see Air France launch service to North Carolina, though the catch is that this is coming at the expense of Delta’s existing flight between the two markets, given that Air France and Delta have a transatlantic joint venture.
What do you make of Air France adding service to Raleigh-Durham?
Air France is slated to start daily service to RDU in March 2024
As a frequent traveler based in RDU, I can say unequivocally that it not a tiny airport. It is technically a "large" airport per JD Power consumer rankings and was ranked in the Top 5 nationally for 2022. It is consistently recognized by other reports in a similar fashion. The RDU Airport Authority released their Vision 2040 plan in 2017 which detailed a variety of expansion projects to address the significant growth that the Raleigh...
As a frequent traveler based in RDU, I can say unequivocally that it not a tiny airport. It is technically a "large" airport per JD Power consumer rankings and was ranked in the Top 5 nationally for 2022. It is consistently recognized by other reports in a similar fashion. The RDU Airport Authority released their Vision 2040 plan in 2017 which detailed a variety of expansion projects to address the significant growth that the Raleigh market has seen. This includes expanding and improving Federal Inspection Service (Customs) areas, ticket hall, baggage handling, security lines, and more. Not to mention runway and taxi/apron expansion. Many projects from the Vision 2040 plan have already been completed and status is available on their website. https://www.rdu.com/vision2040/
Excited about the AF service to CDG and the arrival of the first scheduled Dreamliner service at RDU. The international business product will be an upgrade from my recent experiences on the aging 764 that currently serves the route.
This is not a new route but just replacing the airline operating the route and as Delta has a JV partnership may be it does not even do that...
Thank gpd those atrocious 767-300 planes will be gone from RDU. They are so old-school and falling apart on the inside; not worth the price Delta was charging to fly in them. While I wish AF had doors on their 787 offering in Business, it's a real upgrade from that eyesore Delta was using.
Why cant there be Direct flights To GSP? In South Carolina, Maybe this could be a future option.
C’mon, GSP to CDG? There isn’t the market for transatlantic flights to/from GSP.
The Lufthansa Munich flight out of CLT does quite well, especially due to a certain auto manufacturer with a factory just one exit up 85 from GSP.
Some ancient history: AA flew rdu cdg in the 90s and allegedly dropped it when they lost the (unpublicized) contract to carry horse meat to France. NC governor lobbied hard and AA continued flight for maybe a year longer. I think they had good biz class demand from Pharma companies in triangle. They eventually dropped it. I took the Paris flight often from Asheville where I lived thru rdu.
Delta began operating the RDU-CDG flight in May of 2016 with a Boeing 757-200, after large demand they upgraded the flight to a 767-300 before suspending the service during Covid, they returned the service with ever other day flights until the retired daily flights, delta then announced that the plane would be upgraded to a 767-400. The 767-400 leaves the route October 27th. Air France begins their service on the 30th however Delta will operate...
Delta began operating the RDU-CDG flight in May of 2016 with a Boeing 757-200, after large demand they upgraded the flight to a 767-300 before suspending the service during Covid, they returned the service with ever other day flights until the retired daily flights, delta then announced that the plane would be upgraded to a 767-400. The 767-400 leaves the route October 27th. Air France begins their service on the 30th however Delta will operate a 767-300 in tandem with the Air France 787-9 on m-w-f. Glad to see Delta will still operate the route even if it’s not daily.
Is it confirmed that Delta will continue the service? My understanding was they’d be exiting RDU-CDG entirely and just have AF operate the route as part of the joint venture.
Given how much cheaper the 787 is to operate than the 767, it could just be the economics of flying at their current capacity is the same in the 787 plus an additional boost in the cargo hold.
As a CLT hub hostage and with the two major NC metro areas growing rapidly, I’m starting to think RDU will become the airport for more foreign carrier flights. Right now CLT pitifully just has one non-AA flight outside of North America, and that’s LH’s nonstop to MUC. Everything else is AA. So I welcome AF to RDU! I’d love to see BA or EI enter RDU as well, especially since we’re seeing EI enter more small markets with the A321neo
would be good to get a star alliance int'l flight out of RDU too. And then maybe one day one of the ME3
Anything for more RDU flights CLT is a horrible airport and it always irks me I have to stop in CLT flying out of RDU
RDU can't load more than three intl flights at a time in their tiny terminal with only one end accommodating large aircraft. They forgot they have to fit everybody in the terminal at the same time. Terrible lack of foresight and planning. They spent money on the old side to build what looks like a stunning new trailer park terminal.
Delta have a daily service, yes?
Delta has 6-day a week service on this route, so I’m worried it will actually be a reduction of service. If it turns out Delta will still fly Sunday, Thursday, Saturday, and AF takes M,W,F, then that is great. I’m not seeing any clarity on that published now though.
Other than the terrible drivers and humidity, living in the Triangle gets better and better!
You should do what I do every summer: leave Raleigh for the mountains! Headed to Lake Burton very soon.
Too bad it’s not BNA!
Surprised there's not more international flights there
Pre-pandemic AF had regular flights CDG-RDU. I was on one in May 2017, but I don't know how long that route lasted and when it was launched the first time. But, overall, this is AF relaunching a route it had in the past, and not an intrinsically new route.
Air France absolutely did not have CDG-RDU-CDG service in 2017. The route was launched by Delta and operated by them until the pandemic, before it was suspended, and returned, on Delta metal.
Air France has never flown into RDU. AA did when they had a hub at RDU back in the 80s and 90s.
AF has NEVER had service out of RDU. I live in the Triangle, so I know whereof I speak. You are mistaken; this is a brand new route for AF and they have never flown into RDU prior to this new service in October.
Given that Amsterdam airport is now slot constrained, if the Air France/KLM group seeks to grow their joint venture with Delta won’t almost all the AF/KLM routes be from Air France, with the exception of KLM upguaging aircraft if they so choose?
AF and DL are likely realigning the market; some reports are that they will each fly 3 frequencies/week which could help give each certain point of sale advantages.
AF/KL and DL do not generally switch routes back and forth between each other and the JV does require some balance between both sides so there is either the possibility that DL is flying more than its share of flights this year or expects to do...
AF and DL are likely realigning the market; some reports are that they will each fly 3 frequencies/week which could help give each certain point of sale advantages.
AF/KL and DL do not generally switch routes back and forth between each other and the JV does require some balance between both sides so there is either the possibility that DL is flying more than its share of flights this year or expects to do so next summer.
DL has 16 new widebody deliveries scheduled for delivery next year and will likely use the majority of the transatlantic portion of them for service other than to France/The Netherlands.
Fluff