Air France will resume operations between Cork Airport and Paris CDG from July 1.

The route, which was initially launched two years ago, will recommence as a twice-weekly service and grow to four-times a week for the peak summer period. The route will be operated by Air France Hop using an Embraer 190, carrying 100 passengers.

“The team at Cork Airport are thrilled to welcome the recommencement of operations by Air France at Cork from July 1. Both our own team in the airport and the excellent Air France team look forward to making your journey a safe and comfortable one as you return to flying from Cork in the days, weeks and months ahead,” said Niall MacCarthy, Cork Airport’s Managing Director.

Air France plans to operate 80% of its pre-COVID network in summer 2020. Gradual frequency increases throughout the period will result in the carrier reaching 35% of the capacity initially planned for July and 40% for August.

“As borders reopen and travel restrictions begin to ease, safety is a prerequisite for Air France as we gradually resume travel. After this challenging period, we are delighted to be in a position to return to our pre-COVID network in Ireland, connecting passengers from both Cork and Dublin with our worldwide network via Paris. As we all adapt to this new environment, I can assure you that all Air France staff, both on the ground and on-board, are committed to guaranteeing our passengers the highest levels of health and safety. We look forward to welcoming our Irish passengers back on board,” said Benedicte Duval, Air France General Manager for UK & Ireland.

In line with Irish government guidelines, Air France requires customers to wear a surgical mask throughout their journey. Customers will be notified of this via all communication channels prior to their departure and will be asked to ensure they possess one or more masks for their trip.

This is in addition to a range of health and safety measures implemented by Air France in response to the COVID-19 health crisis, which include:

•    The compulsory wearing of surgical masks for all airline crew members and airport handling agents in contact with customers.
•    The modification of customer channels on the ground with the implementation of physical distancing along the customer journey at the airport and the installation of plexiglas protection screens at airports each time it is possible.
•    The introduction of temperature checks for passengers departing from Paris. These systematic checks will be carried out with contactless infrared thermometers. Customers whose temperature is higher than 38°C may be denied boarding and their reservation will be changed at no extra charge to a flight at a later date.
•    The implementation of physical distancing in the airport and on-board where this is possible. Current low load factors make it possible to separate customers in most circumstances. In cases where this is not possible, compulsory face masks ensure adequate health protection.
•    The reinforcement of daily aircraft cleaning procedures, with the disinfection of all surfaces in contact with customers such as armrests, tables and screens.
•    The introduction of a specific procedure for the periodic disinfecting aircraft by spraying an approved virucidal product effective for 10 days.
•    Adapting in-flight service to limit interaction between customers and crew members. On domestic flights and short flights in Europe, meal and beverage services have been suspended. On long-haul flights, cabin service is limited and preference is given to individually wrapped products.

In addition, the air in the cabin is renewed every three minutes. The air recycling system on board Air France aircraft is equipped with "High Efficiency Particulate Air" or HEPA filters, identical to those used in hospital operating theatres. These filters extract more than 99.99% of the smallest viruses, including those no larger than 0.01 micrometres, thus ensuring that cabin air complies with quality standards.

In response to the current crisis and subsequent travel restrictions, Air France offers its customers the opportunity to book with confidence. For any bookings made since April 22, date and destinations changes up until June 30, 2021 are permitted free of charge.