Filipinos may now fly directly from Manila to Paris and vice versa starting Oct. 19 after a temporary seasonal suspension.
Air France will resume nonstop flights between Paris and Manila in October after a five-month pause, just in time for the peak holiday travel season.
On Tuesday, Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia), the country’s main gateway, announced that flights suspended from May to October will resume operating three times a week.
Air France will relaunch the service on Oct. 19 using an Airbus A350-900, which can accommodate more than 300 passengers.
‘The return of the service gives passengers a direct connection between Naia Terminal 3 and Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport, making travel between the Philippines and France more convenient while providing another nonstop link to Europe ahead of the holiday season,’ Naia said.
Additionally, the A350-900 allows Air France to carry 324 passengers on its Paris-Manila flights: 266 in economy, 24 in premium economy and 34 in business class.
While, On Oct. 19 and 21, flights from Paris to Manila will arrive at 6:45 p.m. local time. Meanwhile, flights leaving NAIA will reach Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport at 5:50 a.m. local time.
On on hand, Oct. 24, travelers will follow an almost identical schedule, with the flight from Manila to Paris arriving at 5:35 a.m. local time.
From Oct. 27 to March 25, 2027, Air France will operate a schedule that sees flights from Paris arrive in Manila at 7:40 p.m. local time, while Manila-Paris flights will arrive at 6 a.m. local time.
At the same time, Air France announced the route suspension, which coincided with the northern summer season, in December 2025.
Meanwhile, Air France’s Paris-Manila route was the first direct air link between Europe and the Philippines to resume after the Covid-19 pandemic, which had severely disrupted international travel.