Phoenix is gearing up for a fancy new connection to Europe with Air France announcing non-stop flights to Paris from Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. The service is slated to start on May 23, just in time for travel enthusiasts and sports fans heading to the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics.
In a statement obtained by azfamily.com, Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego expressed excitement about the new route, estimating it will reel in about "$30 million in annual economic impact." Air France has timed its arrival to the city aptly, with the airline celebrating its 90th birthday and acting as the official carrier for this year's Olympics.
Flights on the Boeing 787-900 Dreamliner will be available for booking starting May 24, operating thrice a week during the summer, as per the announcement detailed by azfamily.com. Phoenix, which saw a 40% boost in passenger traffic to Paris compared to 2019, has been eagerly anticipating a direct connection to France's capital—a demand that Air France is now set to meet.
"The future is bright; welcome to Phoenix," were the words Gallego used to hail the advent of new international travels opportunities for the city's residents. The Mayor significance of this development, stating that "the new non-stop service is a big win for Phoenix." ABC15 Arizona also said that the direct flights would provide an easier commute for Arizonans planning to attend the upcoming Olympic Games, according to abc15.
With Phoenix Sky Harbor being recently crowned as the number one large U.S. airport by the Wall Street Journal, and boasting about 1,200 aircraft movements and over 130,000 passengers transiting through daily, Air France's new route might just be the beginning of more international endeavors gracing this desert metropolis. Travel and business prospects, as noted by Gallego, stand poised to flourish as Phoenix muscles its way into a networked world, bridging the desert and the City of Light with a stretch of the wings.
