Air France has started operating the A380 on three out of its 14 weekly flights to Shanghai. The service makes Air France the first European carrier to serve Shanghai with the A380.
The aircraft will ply the route on Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays, departing from Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport at 2320 and arriving at Shanghai Pudong Airport at 1620 the following day. Return flights, meanwhile, will operate on Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays – leaving the Chinese metropolis at 2320 and touching down in the French capital at 0535 the following day.
The advantage of an early morning arrival into Charles De Gaulle is that passengers then have all day to make connections throughout Europe and Africa.
The A380 will feature a four-class configuration with nine seats in first, 80 in business, 38 in premium economy, and 389 in economy class.
Air France will also offer several additional services to accommodate Chinese passengers, including Mandarin speaking ground staff, mobile services and in-flight entertainment in Chinese, as well as Chinese cuisine on board and a new dedicated corporate website for Chinese customers.
The French flag carrier currently operates a total of 28 weekly flights between Paris Charles de Gaulle and Shanghai Pudong, 14 of which are on a codeshare basis by China Eastern Airlines.
For more information, visit www.airfrance.com
Clement Huang
