Air France to halt direct Paris-Manila flights
Another direct air link between Europe and the Philippines will be halted—at least temporarily.
Air France will suspend its direct flights between Paris and Manila from May to October 2026, a little over a year after the route was reintroduced, according to an update on the international airline tracker Aeroroutes.
The Paris-Manila service, which currently operates three times a week, will be paused from May 4 to Oct. 12, 2026, coinciding with the northern summer season, Aeroroutes said, citing a recent Air France schedule update.
The move effectively converts the route into a “seasonal service,” according to Aeroroutes.
This decision is notable as Air France’s Paris-Manila route was the first direct air link between Europe and the Philippines to resume after the COVID-19 pandemic, which had severely disrupted international travel.
Air France, which is the European country’s official flag carrier, resumed direct flights to Manila on Dec. 7, 2024, ending a 20-year hiatus and restoring a long-suspended connection between the two capitals.
Ahead of the relaunch, Air France said the route would be operated using Airbus A350-900 with a seating capacity of more than 300 passengers.
Flights to Manila were scheduled every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday, while flights to Paris-Charles de Gaulle airport operated every Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday.
There used to be flights between London and Manila that took about 14 hours.
At the time, Dutch carrier KLM Airlines operated Manila-bound flights every Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Air France said it had coordinated with KLM to “ensure a combined daily service to Manila.”
With the suspension, travelers are expected to rely mainly on connecting flights via the Middle East, including services operated by Qatar Airways, Emirates Airlines, Oman Air, Saudia, Etihad Airways and Kuwait Airways.
In 2021, Philippine Airlines briefly reopened flights to London after pandemic-related suspensions, but the Lucio Tan-led flag carrier has yet to establish a direct route between the Philippines and Europe.
