Before the pandemic, the airline operated seven weekly services from the Northern hub
Air France celebrated 75 years of operations at Manchester Airport on June 16.
The first flight the carrier made from the northern hub was on June 16, 1946 to Paris, operated by a Dakota F-BADX. This also marked the first post-war scheduled flight from the base after almost seven years.
Arriving from Le Bourget Airport, the service travelled to Manchester to collect a VIP party of 18 passengers. This then became a thrice-weekly service.
“We are delighted to be commemorating 75 years of Air France operating out of Manchester,” said Benedicte Duval, general manager of Air France KLM UK and Ireland.
“Every year we carry hundreds of thousands of passengers between the two cities, clearly indicating how important global connectivity is for the region. The past year has been challenging, but Air France has been able to maintain our operations from Manchester, allowing essential travel between Paris and the North West. Moving forward, we are proud to continue our commitment to tourism and local business in the region.”
Karen Smart, managing director at Manchester Airport, added: “Post-pandemic I look forward to seeing the airline increase its presence at Manchester and celebrating many more anniversaries in the years ahead.”
Before the pandemic, the airline operated up to seven daily flights from the hub. Since the health crisis began, it has continued to run connections for essential travel.
Manchester Airport is the largest UK hub outside of London and acts as a global gateway for the North with a catchment area consisting of 22 million people.
