MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Air France begins direct flights Santiago-Paris

Air France inaugurated Thursday direct flights between Paris and Santiago which represents a 70% route capacity expansion, reported the French carrier in Chile.

"We're confident that the new program will be a total success. Bookings are increasing faster than supply and we are determined to reinforce our position as leaders in Latinamerica", said Christian Herzong, head of Air France's Americas Department. Flights actually began last November 2.

Mr. Herzog revealed that in alliance with Dutch KLM flights to and from the region represents 20% of the Latinamerican market, with 192 weekly flights and twelve destinations in the continent. Besides Chile, the two airlines also cover Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, Surinam and Venezuela.

Air France's General Manager in Chile, Jean Christophe Durrieux said that the implementation of the new service was based in the expanding demand, mainly for travelling to Europe and Asia, and "the company's determination to invest in Chile".

However, Mr. Durrieux anticipated an assessment period in coincidence with European winter, to evaluate demand and definitively decide on the number of profitable weekly flights from Chile which has a 15 million market.

Flights between Santiago and Paris' Roissy-Charles de Gaulle will be operated with Boeing 777-220, three days a week, nightly and lasting 14 hours. The new frequencies are additional to the other flights Air France has via Buenos Aires, which brings the total number to six weekly flights.

With the direct connection travellers will be saving the three hours they spend in Buenos Aires.

Air France has been in Chile for half a century and has in Santiago, since 2002, its info and services call center for the whole of Latinamerica.