CHENNAI: Introduction of tri-weekly Airbus service between Chennai and Paris from this October will further boost international traffic out of the gateway of south India and Europe.

"Air France will be fulfilling a long-felt demand of globetrotters and the travel trade of Southern Region," Dominique Gass, General Manager, India, Nepal Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Bhutan and the Maldives, told The Hindu here on Monday.

Mr. Gass, who met Chennai Airport Director Dinesh Kumar, said though there would be a 13 per cent capacity reduction out of Chennai with the Delta Airlines discontinuing its service and the British Airways reducing its frequency, the proposed Air France Chennai-Paris-Chennai link would fill this vacuum.

The Airbus-340 would offer 30 business and 261 economy class seats.

Onward links

"We are very much delighted that the Chennai connection by Air France would open up further vistas in the air travel in this part of the country as the European carrier has chalked out a convenient onward links out of Charles de Gaulle airport to both West-bound and other European countries," Mr. Gass said.

Depending upon the success of the tri-weekly service to Chennai, the airline would enhance the frequency to five during next summer.

Presently, Air France alone operates daily to Delhi and Mumbai, and five flights a week to Bangalore. The proposed tri-weekly to Chennai will take the total to 22. And, under a code-share arrangement with KLM, Hyderabad is linked four-times-a-week. Air France also operates Boeing-Jumbo-747 freighter jets to Chennai and Delhi.

"Our fares, which are matching with British Airways and Lufthansa, which are also operating out of Chennai, would be competitive. We are yet to decide on any inaugural promotional fare between Chennai and Paris", said Kamal Sengupta, General Manager-Commercial India.

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