Corporate press information

Daily A380 flight as of May 2011

AIR FRANCE- KLM CEO Pierre-Henri Gourgeon announced that an Airbus 380 will start serving Montréal-Trudeau regularly effective May 2011. Bookings and sales will begin as early as October 8, 2010 .

After arriving in Montréal on the day Air France was marking its 60 th anniversary in Canada , aboard the very first Air France Airbus A380 commercial flight to touch down in the country, Gourgeon declared: “Introducing the Air France A380 permanently to the Montréal route emphasizes how important the Canadian market is to our group. This aircraft, which has been performing well on our most frequently flown routes and is perfectly suited for our worldwide network, is a tangible example of Air France 's policy of continually innovating in order to serve its customers better.”

Air France , the first European airline to incorporate the A380 in its fleet when it introduced it to its New York route in November 2009, and also the first airline worldwide to offer commercial A380 flights to Africa as of February 2010, inaugurated its A380 service to Tokyo in September 2010. Montréal-Trudeau will become the fourth destination to be served by the Air France A380.

Aéroports de Montréal President and CEO James Cherry declared: “We designed the airport's new international jetty with the A380 in mind, and our Gate 55 is equipped with the two walkways required to handle this superjumbo jetliner. We are thrilled at the prospect of experiencing the excitement this aircraft generates on a daily basis in a few months.”

The A380 is the world's greenest aircraft, producing less than 75 grams of CO 2 per passenger kilometre. It is also the quietest in its class. Its spacious cabin offers passengers roomier comfort. Air France has also introduced some innovations aboard the aircraft, such as mood lighting that changes during the flight's various stages, lounges where passengers can meet and unwind, and a brand new inflight entertainment system with wider individual screens. The Air France A380 is equipped today with 538 seats, divided into three cabin classes – La Première (First) 9 seats on the main deck, Affaires (Business) 80 seats on the upper deck, and Voyageur (Economy) 449 seats divided between the two decks.  As of summer 2011, the Premium Voyageur Cabin, located between Affaires cabin and the Voyageur cabin, will be progressively offered in the A380. The A380 will be equipped with 9 seats in La Première, 80 in Affaires, 38 in Premium Voyageur, 389 in Voyageur.

Air France has been operating in Canada for 60 years, where it employs 165 people. During peak season, Air France and KLM provide 64 weekly flights between Paris-Charles de Gaulle/Amsterdam-Schiphol and Montreal , Toronto , Calgary and Vancouver .