Denver’s residents have a new flight to look forward to as Air France has announced a new service between the city and its own hub at Paris Charles de Gaulle. With tickets already available for purchase, the first flight is scheduled to take place well into the summer- on July 2nd. Let’s take a look at the details of this new non-stop service.
According to CBS Denver News, this new Paris-Denver service will mark Air France’s first-ever flight in or out of Denver International Airport for the French flag carrier. It’s reported that the service’s launch is “contingent on changes to travel bans currently in effect which do not allow non-essential travel between the United States and Europe” as a result of the ongoing global health crisis.
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Flight details
While travel restrictions will need to change, here are the details for the service if flights do go ahead.
- Start date: July 2nd, 2021 (for now, only scheduled until October 29th, 2021)
- Frequency: Three flights per week on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays
- Aircraft: Boeing 787-9 (30 business-class seats, 21 premium economy, and 225 economy.)
- Timings:
- Flight AF0630. Departs Paris at 13:10, arrives at Denver International Airport at 15:20. Duration: 10 hours and 10 minutes.
- Flight AF0631. Departs Denver International Airport at 17:30, arrives at Paris Charles de Gaulle at 10:50(+1 day). Duration: Nine hours and 20 minutes.
The economic impact for Denver
CBS Denver News notes that this will be a boost to Denver’s economy. Indeed, just this single new international service is expected to create 150 jobs while also generating $12-20 million in economic impact.
Bonjour! DEN is so very excited to welcome @airfrance to Denver as a NEW airline partner. Nonstop flights to Paris are scheduled to begin this summer ✈️🇫🇷 #FlyDEN
Read more about this new service here –> https://t.co/JEAkfIZPfR pic.twitter.com/RHT8VqIDk6
— Denver Int’l Airport (@DENAirport) April 15, 2021
Denver Mayor Michael Hancock responded to the new flight by calling it “tremendous news,” adding the following in a statement via CBS:
“These new flights directly reflect the work we have done to position Denver as a global city. With nonstop service to Paris, Air France is supporting our economic recovery with jobs and an investment in our region’s tourism and hospitality industry.”
The first SkyTeam service connecting Denver to Europe
If you follow the US carriers and their operations, you’ll know that Denver is traditionally a United Airlines and Star Alliance stronghold. Therefore, if you fly United to Paris out of Denver, you’ll need to connect to one of the airline’s other hubs. In this case, we would be looking at airports like Chicago O’Hare or Newark Liberty, among others.
This new service by Air France marks the first SkyTeam service connecting Denver to Europe. The SkyTeam alliance also includes airlines like Delta, KLM, Aeromexico, China Eastern, and more. Indeed, the flight won’t just be used for direct service between the two cities but will also allow residents of Denver to book single-stop service to one of Air France’s destinations in Europe, Africa, or the Middle-East, via Paris Charles de Gaulle.
What do you think of this new service? Do you think it will be a success? Let us know in the comments.
