New Route of the Day (27 June 2023): Air France between Paris CDG and Ottawa

Air France has become the only carrier to currently offer non-stop service between Europe and the Canadian capital of Ottawa with the recent introduction of flights from Paris CDG. The 5,675-kilometre route will be flown 5-weekly, departing the French capital daily except for Wednesdays and Fridays using the airline’s 224-seat A330-200s according to Cirium data. Pre-pandemic Air Canada served both Frankfurt (5-weekly) and London LHR (daily) with non-stop service from Ottawa.

The French flag carrier already serves Montreal (4-daily), Toronto (2-daily), Vancouver (daily) and Quebec City (3-weekly). With 57 weekly flights to Canada, Air France is Europe’s biggest carrier for flights to Canada, ahead of Lufthansa (42), KLM (36) and British Airways (34). However, Air Canada (304 weekly flights) and Air Transat (168) are both much bigger in the market.

What they said

Eric Caron, General Manager for North America, Air France-KLM said: “I am delighted to be inaugurating our fifth non-stop route from Canada, and the second from the province of Ontario. This will serve to further strengthen the historical ties between France and Canada, and also help foster new bonds culturally, economically and on the tourism front. Canada is now the second leading long-haul market for our airline. Our summer offering here is up by 38% compared to 2019.”

Mark Laroche, President and CEO, Ottawa International Airport Authority, added: “We commend Air France for its non-stop YOW-CDG service, which reconnects Canada's Capital Region to Europe. As a renowned, award-winning global airline offering a wide range of seating options and an extensive network beyond Paris, this presents an incredible opportunity for both business and leisure travellers to reignite their love for travel. Air France's presence in Ottawa opens a gateway to seamless and memorable journeys, fostering cultural exchange and economic growth between our cities and enabling passengers to embark on remarkable adventures with ease.”