Air France (AF/AFR) is France’s flag carrier and the country’s leading airline. Founded on October 7th, 1933, through a government-driven initiative, the airline originated from the merger of several historic French carriers of the era, including Air Orient, Air Union, Compagnie Générale Aéropostale, CIDNA, and SGTA. That same day, the new national airline was officially inaugurated during a ceremony at Le Bourget Airport.

Compagnie Nationale Air France

Following World War II, the French government nationalized its air transport sector, leading to the formal creation of the Compagnie Nationale Air France. The fleet was modernized, replacing outdated aircraft with modern American models such as the Douglas DC-3 for regional routes, alongside long-range airliners like the Douglas DC-4 and the Lockheed Constellation. With these new aircraft, the airline began to expand its international network, launching its first transatlantic route: Paris–New York, with stopovers in Shannon and Gander, in Ireland and Canada, respectively.

In 1946, the airline moved its main commercial operations from Le Bourget Airport—located just 11 kilometers north of the French capital—to Paris-Orly Airport, which was refurbished and handed over to civil authorities that same year. At its new hub, Air France eventually entered the jet era, introducing the French-made Sud Aviation Caravelle in 1959. By the end of the decade, the carrier had become one of the world’s most prominent airlines, connecting Paris with almost every continent.

Nearly a century after its inception, the SkyTeam founding member (since 2000) has centralized its operations at Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport, having completed the historic relocation of its primary services from Orly Airport in March 2026. Its flights within Europe are primarily operated by narrow-body aircraft, although this is not the only market served by these models.

Latin America

Air France currently has two Airbus A320-200s permanently based in the Caribbean. These aircraft, registered as F-HEPB and F-HEPC, operate regional routes across the American continent, with Pointe-à-Pitre serving as their main base, connecting essential links to Fort-de-France and Cayenne.

These three cities serve as the key hubs for Guadeloupe, Martinique, and French Guiana, which hold the legal status of French Overseas Departments. Consequently, Air France has a strategic and commercial obligation to maintain efficient, fast, and direct connectivity between these territories for the transport of passengers and cargo.

Air France’s operations in Latin America and the Caribbean expanded significantly during the postwar era. Following the 1946 French law that officially designated these territories as Overseas Departments, the carrier established a dedicated regional network to fulfill its mandate, ensuring a direct and vital route between Pointe-à-Pitre, Fort-de-France, and Cayenne.

For nearly 20 years, all its regional flights were operated by propeller aircraft, until the introduction of the Caravelle in 1967 marked the arrival of the jet era in the region. This milestone allowed Air France to significantly enhance its Caribbean operations, drastically reducing flight times and expanding its network to key international destinations like Miami.

The introduction of the Caravelle permitted the airline to enter the US market from the Caribbean with the Pointe-à-Pitre–Miami route, which officially launched in 1968. By 1970, Air France added a second service to the Florida city from Port-au-Prince, the capital of Haiti. These Caravelles remained in operation until 1980, when they were finally replaced by Boeing 737-200s, marking a transition toward a more modern era across its regional operations.

Airbus A320

The first Airbus A320-200 dedicated exclusively to its Caribbean network entered service in 2001, replacing the Boeing 737 previously based in the Americas. At that time, the airline deployed just one aircraft for the Réseau Régional Caraïbes, Air France’s dedicated regional division for its Caribbean operations. In 2007, it introduced a second Airbus A320, establishing a two-aircraft fleet structure that the carrier continues to maintain today.

According to our database, Belém, Cayenne, Fortaleza, Fort-de-France, Miami, and Pointe-à-Pitre are the Air France destinations in the Americas served by its Airbus A320-200 fleet. Among these, Cayenne, Fortaleza, Fort-de-France, Miami, and Pointe-à-Pitre also receive direct transatlantic services to and from Paris operated by wide-body aircraft. The exception is Belém, a city located in northern Brazil that connects exclusively through Cayenne.

Routes

In the Americas, the airline maintains a significant presence, primarily driven by the France–United States market, with 19 destinations in operation as of the time of publication. Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Mexico, Panama, Peru, and Sint Maarten constitute its other served markets in the region, almost all of which provide direct connections to the French capital.

The carrier’s destination roster includes a comprehensive footprint across Latin America, serving Belém, Bogotá, Buenos Aires, Cayenne, Fortaleza, Fort-de-France, Lima, Mexico City, Panama City, Pointe-à-Pitre, Rio de Janeiro, Salvador de Bahía, Santiago de Chile, San José (Costa Rica), and São Paulo. Meanwhile, its North American network encompasses key gateways in the United States and Canada, operating flights to Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Houston, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, Minneapolis, Montreal, New York (JFK), Newark, Orlando, Ottawa, Phoenix, Quebec City, Raleigh-Durham, San Francisco, Seattle, Toronto, Vancouver, and Washington, D.C.

France – America routes

*Sint Maarten is an autonomous constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

A new route

Starting December 11th, Air France will launch a new seasonal route within Latin America, marking an unprecedented expansion for its regional network. Using Airbus A320-200 aircraft, the carrier will offer twice-weekly flights between Pointe-à-Pitre (Guadeloupe) and Panama City, establishing its first-ever narrow-body deployment into the Panamanian capital.

At the time of publication, and in accordance with its website, flights are scheduled from December 11th to March 5th, 2027, maintaining its twice-weekly frequency throughout the season.

Monday and Friday

• AF 618  Pointe-a-Pitre PTP 16:30 · 18:55 PTY Panama City
• AF 619  Panama City PTY 09:00 · 13:05 PTP Pointe-a-Pitre (Tuesday and Saturday)

Air France will be the only airline operating on the Guadeloupe–Panama market.

Cover photo: © Leonardo Carvalho – JetPhotos (Belém, Brazil)

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