Air France has started to operate the first flights featuring its new 48-seat business-class cabin on services to three long-haul destinations.
The carrier, which first announced plans to fit the new cabins on 12 Boeing 777-300 aircraft in May 2022, is initially offering the upgraded seats on flights from Paris Charles de Gaulle airport to New York’s JFK airport, as well as on services to Rio de Janeiro and Dakar in Senegal. Economy and premium seats have also been upgraded alongside the business cabin.
The first flight with the new cabins departed Paris Charles de Gaulle for New York on Friday (20 January), followed by Rio de Janeiro on Saturday (21 January) and Dakar on Sunday (22 January).
Air France said that its continued refurbishment of the 12 B777-300s would allow it to “gradually” introduce these cabins on more flights to New York, Rio and Dakar during the current winter season before being offered on other destinations later in the year.
The new business class seat converts into a flat bed, which is almost two metres long and includes a new sliding door allowing passengers to create a private space.
All business seats have direct access to the aisle, while those located in the centre of the cabin are equipped with a central panel that can be lowered for passengers travelling together. There is also a 17.3-inch 4K high-definition entertainment screen.
In premium economy, Air France is introducing its latest “recliner-type” seat, which is already available on its Airbus A350 aircraft and offers 96cm of legroom. Meanwhile new economy seats provide passengers with 79cm of legroom and an “ergonomically designed” backrest. Both cabins offer 13.3-inch 4K HD entertainment screens.
Air France called the introduction of the new business class cabin a “major step” in its move upmarket. The carrier added that all long-haul business cabins would be fitted with seats that can be turned into fully-flat beds by the end of this year – compared with the current figure of 90 per cent.
The airline said that it would also equip all aircraft with inflight wifi by the end of the year, excluding the regional fleet. Currently wifi is available on 97 per cent of Air France’s fleet.