By Veronica Uy
To mark the Christmas season and the reopening of the Notre Dame Cathedral, Air France will resume its direct flights between Manila and Paris in December, it was learned recently.
In a media release, the French embassy in the Philippines said the new thrice-a-week flights after a 20-year absence will further strengthen bilateral relations between the two countries, reflecting France’s concrete support to the economic development of the Philippines.
“This marks a significant step in the strengthening of bilateral relations between France and the Philippines, offering new opportunities for mobility, and economic, tourism, cultural development, and student exchange,” the embassy said.
“It will help boost French and European investment in a particularly dynamic Philippine market,” it added.
As the Philippines is currently the only major Southeast Asian country without a direct connection to the European Union, this connection of the two air hubs—Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) and Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA)—consolidates France’s role as a gateway to Europe for the Philippines.
“[This] strategic connection [will also] boost trade, tourism, and exchanges between France and the Philippines, and more generally with Europe,” the embassy said.
The Paris-Manila route will officially open on the first weekend of December, which will coincide with the end of the restoration work on the world-famous cathedral five years after it caught fire.
“This initiative also illustrates Air France’s commitment to establishing a long-term presence in the Philippine market, at a time when flights between Europe and the Philippines are set to increase by +4.1% a year between now and 2042,” the embassy said.
Other strategic initiatives include France’s opening of a resident defense mission in the country in June 2024, and its opening of a new embassy office in the Philippines with enhanced resources at the start of the year.