In a first for San Diego, Air France announced Thursday that it will launch nonstop flights to Paris starting next summer, marking the fourth nonstop route between San Diego and major European destinations.
While the airline has periodically flown between San Diego and Paris specifically to accommodate international conferences held here, it has never had a regular nonstop route.
In a news release announcing the new route, Air France highlighted the charms of San Diego, noting “its roughly 300 days of sunshine per year and distinctly laid-back atmosphere.” The coastal destination, says the airline, is also “an ideal gateway for exploring Southern California.”
Launching May 3 and running through October, the flight will operate three times a week on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays between San Diego International Airport and Paris-Charles De Gaulle, utilizing an A350-900 aircraft. Departures from San Diego will be at 3:10 p.m., with arrival the following day at 11:05 a.m. The return flight is scheduled to leave Paris-Charles de Gaulle at 10:10 a.m. and arrive in San Diego at 12:50 p.m. the same day.
Tickets will go on sale starting Oct. 26.
Slowly but surely, San Diego has been drawing the attention of international airlines, beginning with British Airways, which has had an on-again, off-again presence here dating to 2001. Regular service returned in 2011 and the airline now has two daily flights between San Diego and London.
Japan Airlines flies daily between San Diego and Tokyo, Lufthansa operates a nonstop to Munich, and last year KLM inaugurated a seasonal nonstop flight to Amsterdam. Also debuting in 2025 was a nonstop flight to Panama City, courtesy of Copa Airlines.