The annual Cannes International Film Festival is a coveted event welcoming guests from all over the world. Similarly, the Monaco Formula One Grand Prix is one of the most popular racing events held annually around the same time.
The Cannes Film Festival especially sees a notable demand from West Coast customers. To meet demand for both the festival and the Monaco Grand Prix, Air France has announced special flights from Los Angeles for passengers interested in attending either event.
Limited Special Flights
Air France will operate two special flights on May 13 and 27 between Los Angeles (LAX) and Nice Côte d'Azur Airport (NCE) on the French Riviera. Nice is the largest airport serving the French Riviera. The airport is about 30 minutes from Cannes and Monaco, making it a convenient option for anyone traveling to the Film Festival or Formula One race.
Air France is the official partner of the Cannes International Film Festival. The airline has previously operated special flights between Los Angeles and Nice for this event. Just like last year, Air France's special flights will be operated by the Airbus A350-900. These aircraft feature either 292 or 324 seats, depending on the configuration.
The A350 boasts 25% fewer CO2 emissions compared to previous-generation long-haul aircraft. The plane is a great way for Air France to reduce its environmental footprint. The A350's noise footprint is also reduced by an impressive 40%.
The 292-seater aircraft accommodates 48 passengers in business class, 32 in premium economy, and 212 in economy class. Meanwhile, the 324-seater jets have 34 seats in business class, 24 in premium economy, and 266 in economy class. Based on the high-profile nature of these events, it is more plausible that the 292-seater A350s will be deployed on these flights.
Air France's LAX-NCE outbound flight will run only on May 13, with the return flight operating on May 27. AF 41 will depart Los Angeles at 1:15 p.m. and arrive in Nice at 9:35 a.m. local time the next day. The return flight, AF 40, will leave Nice at 1:55 p.m. and land in Los Angeles at 5:05 p.m. local time the same day.
Air France will also add two special flights between New York-JFK and Nice for the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity from June 17 to 21. Flights from New York to Nice will operate on June 15 and 16, with return flights offered on June 20 and 21.
Air France's Growing U.S. Network
Air France will operate an increased schedule to the United States during the summer of 2024. The carrier has held long-standing service to the following airports:
- Atlanta (ATL)
- Boston (BOS)
- Chicago-O'Hare (ORD)
- Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW)
- Denver (DEN)
- Detroit (DTW)
- Houston-Intercontinental (IAH)
- Los Angeles (LAX)
- Miami (MIA)
- New York-JFK (JFK)
- Newark (EWR)
- San Francisco (SFO)
- Seattle (SEA)
- Washington-Dulles (IAD)
Air France will resume service to Minneapolis-St. Paul (MSP) on May 13. It will also extend service to Raleigh-Durham (RDU) during the summer, a recently upgraded route from the Boeing 787-9 to the larger Airbus A350-900. The carrier recently announced a new Phoenix, Arizona (PHX) service that will launch on May 23 with the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner.