The new year-round route will see Qantas operate to the French capital for the first time in nearly two decades, cutting around three hours from the current fastest travel time from Perth to Paris. 

The Australian flag carrier said the new onboard items, created especially for the Paris flights, will kickstart European summer holidays for its customers.

Chic limited-edition pajamas created by Australian designer Martin Grant with matching French-inspired amenity kits will be on offer for business class customers traveling on the new Paris route.

The navy pajamas display the flight number, QF 33, along with a decorated journey route from Perth to Paris. 

Grant considers Paris to be the fashion capital of the world and his love for the city made this collaboration with Qantas particularly special.

鈥淎fter living in Paris for the past 30 years, the direct Perth-Paris flights will make it easy to fly from one home to another. I was thrilled to be able to team up with Qantas again to create the pajamas and amenity kit to celebrate these new flights and the simplicity of French design,鈥� Grant said in a statement.

French curated menu

Passengers on the Perth-Paris flights will be treated to popular French classics curated by Qantas Creative Director of Food, Beverage and Service, Neil Perry.

Perry said the new dishes pay homage to the great qualities of French cooking.

鈥淔rench cuisine is made up of so many amazing classic dishes, we spent a lot of time developing a menu that captures the balance of richness and freshness in French flavors whilst also keeping an element of familiarity that our customers love,鈥� Perry said.

French bistro favorites including cr猫me caramel and goats cheese salad with walnut vinaigrette will also be on offer across selected Qantas First and Business lounges throughout Australia.

Qantas French menu highlights: 

• Beef fillet with pomme puree, snow peas and Caf茅 de Paris butter.
• Fresh tuna Nicoise salad with olives, green beans, and lemon dressing.
• Coq au vin with pancetta, mushrooms, potato puree and snow peas.
• Duck and pistachio p芒t茅 en cro没te with cornichons, radishes and watercress.
• Rum Savarin with berries and chantilly cream.

From July 12, 2024, the 17-hour Perth-Paris flights will initially operate four days per week (during the peak European summer) with the airline精东影业 Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft. Services will then move to three per week from mid-August 2024. 

The launch of the new route comes just in time for the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games.聽

Qantas restarts Shanghai flights and reveals plans for new Paris route in 2024

• Airlines

byIan Molyneaux

2023-10-30

Glenn Viel and Arnaud Lallement will be creating new dishes for passengers traveling in the La Premi猫re and Business cabins from April 2024, alongside renowned pastry chefs Philippe Rigollot and Nina M茅tayer. 

Viel is signing the entire menu in the La Premi猫re class, Air France精东影业 most exclusive travel cabin, while world pastry champion Rigollot will look after deserts.  

The 12 dishes La Premi猫re class passengers will enjoy over the coming month include mediterranean bread with preserved peppers and rosemary, cream cheese, rocket and pickled lemon, sea bream fillet, fondant potatoes, mussels and lemon sauce, and guinea fowl topped with a crunchy zucchini mosaic, and caramelized onion compote.聽

鈥淚 am proud to be working with Air France, which has established itself as the flagship of French aviation and highlights our country and French gastronomy throughout the world. For the company精东影业 La Premi猫re customers, I wanted to highlight the French art de vivre, high standards, elegance and refinement,鈥� Viel said.聽

Strawberry gateau, Black Forest gateau, and an apricot tartlet and rosemary whipped cream are among the six desserts to gradually appear on the menu by Rigollo. 

In the long-haul Business cabin, Arnaud Lallement鈥� dishes will include polenta on stir-fried vegetables, creamy eggplant and red pepper coulis, crab and shrimp ravioli, Brittany curry sauce, and stir-fried spinach will delight passengers.聽

鈥淔or Air France, I wanted to remember the seasons, to let my unconscious speak, as if in hypnosis. Sharing with travelers a gourmet pleasure marked by emotion and indulgence,鈥� Lallement explained.  

Nina M茅tayer, who has been curating the Business cabin deserts since 2023, has created three new sweet treats which include the chef精东影业 caramel, hazelnut and velvety dark chocolate slice, coconut lime mango slice, and the 鈥淚ndividuel鈥� gourmet chocolate delight. 

Following a partnership established with Air France in November 2023, one-starred chef Fr茅d茅ric Simonin has created a new series of dishes for the Premium Economy cabin.聽

The new menu, which is already available onboard flights departing from Paris, includes mini scallops, citrus sauce with tapioca pearls and asparagus pasta, or peas with savory, spinach and glazed pearl onions. 

鈥淔or Air France customers, I have carefully chosen each product from our French regions that I can transform with delicacy and precision, for a special culinary experience,鈥� Simonin said.聽

Air France transatlantic jet carries lifesaving donor heart on pioneering flight

• Airlines

byIan Molyneaux

2024-03-27

The first Sydney-Shanghai flight took off on October 29, 2023, and marks the final international destination to return to Qantas鈥� pre-COVID network since borders reopened. 

The Australian flag-carrier has also announced that the airline is adding another direct service between Australia and Europe.  

From July 2024, Qantas will fly directly to Paris from Perth which compliments the carrier精东影业 direct flights from Australian city to London and Rome. 

The new year-round route will see Qantas operate to the French capital for the first time in nearly two decades, cutting around three hours off the current fastest travel time from Perth to Paris. 

From July 12, 2024, the 17-hour Perth-Paris flights will initially operate four days per week (during the peak European summer) with the airline精东影业 Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft. Services will then move to three per week from mid-August 2024. 

The launch of the new route comes just in time for the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games. 

鈥淲e鈥檙e the only airline offering these direct flights rather than going through a mid-point because the key market we serve is Australia. Our in-flight service is designed with long-haul travel in mind,鈥� Qantas Group CEO Vanessa Hudson said. 

Hudson added: 鈥淭he schedule we鈥檝e announced today will add more than 75,000 seats between Australia and Europe each year and we鈥檒l be working with to help make the most of the opportunity to bring tourists here, knowing that direct flights are a big factor in people deciding where to travel.鈥� 

The Shanghai flights will initially operate five days per week with an Airbus A330 aircraft, adding more than 2,500 seats per week between Australia and China, and growing to over 4,000 seats per week when services increase to daily in late March 2024. 

鈥淎dding Shanghai back on our network map is great news for our customers, especially those travelling for business or visiting friends and relatives in China as well as providing critical additional air freight between the two countries. The business travel market is a key focus for this route, and we expect the recent trade developments will drive more travel between Australia and China,鈥� Qantas International CEO Cam Wallace said. 

Wallace added: 鈥淭he business travel market is a key focus for this route, and we expect the recent trade developments will drive more travel between Australia and China. While demand from Chinese visitors wanting to travel to Australia is below the record levels that we saw prior to the pandemic, demand has been steadily climbing since borders reopened.鈥� 

Qantas also operates flights from Sydney and Melbourne to Hong Kong. 

Two killed after Socata TB Trinidad crashes into mountainous area in Australia

• Aircraft
• Aviation Safety

byIan Molyneaux

2023-10-29

All 66 onboard the Airbus A320, registered SU-GCC, died when it crashed into the Mediterranean Sea. Egyptian authorities have never published a final report into the crash.  

The Corriere della Sera on April 26, 2022, cited , which is investigating the crash with a view to bringing manslaughter charges. According to the report, the fire was started in the flight deck when one of the pilots lit a cigarette. The report finds that smoking was not forbidden by Egypt Air at the time.  

The reason the fire started on the accident flight is because one of the emergency oxygen masks was leaking oxygen, after a valve had been placed in the incorrect position when it was replaced three days earlier, the reports states. It was the combination of leaked oxygen and the cigarette that ignited the fire that led to the crew losing control of the aircraft.  

French air accident investigators from the BEA stated on July 6, 2018 that they considered 鈥渢he most likely hypothesis is that a fire broke out in the cockpit while the aeroplane was flying at its cruise altitude and that the fire spread rapidly resulting in the loss of control of the aeroplane.鈥�  

Egyptian air accident investigators have previously said they found traces of explosives, which led them to hand over the investigation to public prosecutors. 

The BEA at the time criticized Egyptian authorities for not releasing a final report and said they would have used the final report to set out differences of opinion with Egyptian investigators.  

鈥淭he BEA considers that it is necessary to have this final report in order to have the possibility of understanding the cause of the accident and to provide the aviation community with the safety lessons which could prevent future accidents.鈥� 

On October 23, 2021, the Air France Airbus A330 jet with 203 passengers on board took off from Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) for the flight AF246 to Seychelles International Airport (SEZ). The route was resumed after an 18-month break when the government of France removed Seychelles from the red-listed countries. 

With air travel restrictions eliminated, Air France will offer its passengers regular twice-weekly service from CDG airport every Thursday and Saturday as well as returning flights every Friday and Saturday.

Speaking to media on October 23, 2021, the director-general of the Tourism Department of Seychelles Bernadette Willemin outlined that the return of Air France should significantly boost arrivals to the country. 

鈥淔rance remains a market that is performing well for us despite the lack of direct flights and the fact that we were on the red list. […] Having Air France back on our shores is a great moment for our destination. […] We are forecasting the French market would not only do well in terms of visitor arrivals but also to regain its place in the top three markets,鈥� Willemin .

Air France unveils first A220 as part of fleet renewal

• Aircraft

byVictoria Bryan

2021-09-30

Around 8,620 travelers from France have already visited the island, the Tourism Department of Seychelles counts. In comparison to pre-pandemic levels, Seychelles recorded 43,297 arrivals from France in 2019.

It is the second terminal the airport has closed since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent crisis for air transport. Terminal 1 was closed on November 11, 2020. The airport activity is now limited to terminals 2 and 3.

In 2020, Roissy-Charles de Gaulle (CDG), Paris鈥� main airport, received 70.8% fewer passengers than in 2019, while Orly Airport (ORY) suffered a drop of 66.1%, as reported by their operator, A茅roports de Paris (ADP).

In early February 2021, the French government canceled the project to build a new terminal, T4 in Roissy-Charles de Gaulle Airport, citing environmental issues and air traffic being brought down. A new expansion project should be submitted by ADP, which is expected to follow environmental guidelines given by the authorities. 

Paris-Charles de Gaulle expansion scrapped over environmental concerns

• Airport

byClement Charpentreau

2021-02-11

Jason McGuinness, the Director of Commercial at Ryanair, announcing the scheduled date of the new base opening, did not miss the opportunity to emphasize the company精东影业 superiority over competitors. The French operator Air France received quite sharp criticism.

鈥淲e are delighted to announce a $200 million investment at Ryanair精东影业 fourth French base in Paris Beauvais Airport. This development will create over 2,300 direct and indirect jobs at a time when other airlines, including Air France, retrench and reduce capacity and investment, despite receiving 鈧�7 billion in discriminatory State Aid,鈥� said McGuinness in the press release.

Ryanair sharpens knives against competitors: raises 鈧�400 million

• Aviation Economics & Finance

byGabriele Petrauskaite

2020-10-22

The carrier plans to open a new base with 2 aircraft on December 3, 2020. Ryanair will also initiate 32 routes in total connecting Paris to 13 countries across Europe. 

Ryanair will also launch two fresh services to Paphos, Cyprus, and Manchester, United Kingdom, twice a week as well as connections to business and leisure destinations around Europe, including Barcelona, Milan, Faro, and Thessaloniki.

Paris-Beauvais airport is the first base announced by Ryanair in Europe since the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis.

The carrier精东影业 barely six-month-old Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner (registered VT-TSD) successfully landed in the UK精东影业 capital after a nine-hour flight, according to flightradar24. Vistara, a Tata Sons subsidiary, plans to operate this special service three times a week until September 30, 2020.

Vistara is also planning to start limited flights under similar conditions to Paris and Frankfurt, the company said in a statement on August 18, 2020. 鈥淎s the world starts opening up in a phased manner following an extended global lockdown, these special flights give us the privilege of facilitating travel between the two countries,鈥� said Leslie Thng, CEO of Vistara, in a statement at that time.

Vistara announced special services to Europe 16 days after India signed the Air Transport Bubble Agreement with the UK, France, and Germany. The arrangement allowed commercial passenger services between the two countries when regular flights were suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Vistara owns two brand new Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners. The first aircraft was delivered in February 2020, followed by the other in March of the same year. Both widebody aircraft were purchased for long-haul international operations. However, while international routes were unavailable due to pandemics, Vistara employed Dreamliners on the routes that were available. The Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner which flew to London, previously had been employed for domestic services between Delhi (DEL) and Bengaluru (BLR) or Chennai (MAA). 

The second Vistara精东影业 Dreamliner (registered VT-TSE) ceased its US services on August 14, 2020. After returning home, the 787 continued domestic services between Delhi (DEL) and Bengaluru (BLR) or Amritsar (ATQ), following a similar pattern as its older sibling.

Airlines grounding their fleets due to the low demand caused by the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic have filled the aprons of many bases around the world. 

As aircraft kept arriving, Tarmac Aerosave opened a fourth facility at Paris-Vatry Airport. The site is a former NATO base located close to other major airports in London, Paris, Amsterdam, Frankfurt, and Brussels. 

Reconditioned as a freight platform, the site features a 3,860 meters (12,664 feet) runway, which previously welcomed the Antonov An-225, the world精东影业 largest aircraft, as part of a medical relief flight. The airport, opened 24 hours a day, also sports a large parking area of more than 60,000 square meters (645,000 square feet). Tarmac Aerosave will thus be able to additionally store 30 aircraft of all types, bringing its total capacity to 270.

Tarmac Aerosave, which usually provides maintenance, reconditioning, and dismantling services, says it has dedicated most of its resources to storing, increasing capacity by 25%. Despite that, the suspension of other activities (including 40% drop in maintenance demand) forced the company to put some of its employees under partial unemployment. 

鈥淲e are delighted with this collaboration with Paris-Vatry, a global benchmark platform for aviation logistics which has very recently demonstrated its efficiency. This new location allows us to meet the requests of all customers and to prepare more calmly for the next re-deliveries and long-term storage,” said Patrick Lecer, president of TARMAC Aerosave.

The French company is based in Tarbes Lourdes Pyr茅n茅es Airport (LDE) in France and is one of the biggest aircraft storage facilities in Europe. Besides its LDE and the newly established Paris-Vatry Airport bases, it also has two other sites in Teruel Airport (TEV), Spain,  and Toulouse Francazal (LFBF). 

Antonov An-225 Mriya breaks two records in one week

• Civil Aviation

byClement Charpentreau

2020-04-20

On what is the mysterious 797 read here:

On January 28, 2019, reported that over 1,000 people at Boeing are already working on the 797 design, while the program itself is 鈥渁ccelerating towards an internal launch around the end of 1Q 2019鈥�.

The following day that a team at Boeing are spearheading the concept of the 797, while executives are 鈥渃losing in鈥� on the decision. The company精东影业 board 鈥渋s expected鈥� to review the 797 program by the end of March 2019, according to the publication, which also puts the estimated price of the program at $15 billion.

If Boeing does decide to make the new airliner, it could potentially open up 30,000 new routes, estimates. Contrary to today’s system in which long haul flights are usually carried from major hubs, the middle of the market plane would provide more options for point-to-point routes from secondary cities.

In respect to the news, all eyes are now turning to the Paris Air Show, coming  in June 2019, as a likely venue for Boeing to announce its decision. However, similar speculation of possible 797 announcement was also circulating before – prior Farnborough Air Show of 2018.