To celebrate 70 years’ flying to Johannesburg, Air France KLM hosted the trade and clients at its Decades of Connections event at the Joburg Theatre on Wednesday, June 14. A riveting, once-off performance about its history with South Africa, specially created for the occasion, featured popular actors Hlomla Dandala and Shannon Esra playing different passengers over the years.
Air France has played a key role in promoting international travel, cultural exchange, tourism and business opportunities between France and South Africa. From operating a twice-monthly flight with stops in Tripoli, Kano, Brazzaville and Livingstone in 1953, it now has daily direct flights between Paris and Johannesburg on the Boeing 777-300ER.
This year, it is increasing the frequency from seven to 10 flights a week between Johannesburg and Paris during the Rugby World Cup in France from September 8 to October 28.
Speaking at the event, Air France KLM Country Manager Southern Africa, Wilson Tauro, stressed the importance of Air France’s South African business, as it is the carrier’s biggest market in Africa.
“This milestone reflects our commitment to providing exceptional service, and it is a testament to the enduring trust and loyalty of our passengers. We look forward to connecting Paris and Johannesburg for decades to come,” said Tauro.
Jean-March Pouchol, Air France KLM Vice President for Africa, said Air France was “very close” to its pre-COVID situation. Describing the airline’s new business cabin on its Johannesburg route as “fantastique”, he emphasised that it was a significant improvement on the previous product.
Underlining the airline’s full commitment to reduce its carbon footprint by 30% in 2030, Pouchol said it was focusing on fleet renewal with new-generation aircraft – the Airbus 350 and Boeing 787 Dreamliner, while diminishing carbon emissions by using biofuel and e-fuel. It is looking at using 10% SAF by 2030. Fuel-saving plans include using only one engine on the taxiway instead of two, as well as route trajectory optimisation.
