Monrovia – The French carrier, Air France has unveiled its flight Schedule as it prepares to resume flights to Monrovia.
In a statement Monday, the airline says as from April 20, 2020, customers will once again be able to travel to Monrovia (Liberia) thanks to five weekly flights operated by Airbus A330-300 with a capacity of 224 seats (36 in Business, 21 in Premium Economy and 167 in Economy class).
Said the statement : “Air France will serve Monrovia as a continuation of service to Bamako (Mali) on Mondays, Wednesdays and Sundays, and directly on Tuesdays and Fridays before joining Bamako. Thanks to this new route between Monrovia and Bamako, Air France will operate four additional flights to Mali (12 flights in total), representing a 63% increase in capacity compared to last year.”
For the 2020 summer season, Air France will serve 35 destinations in Africa and 280 weekly flights. In total, the Air France-KLM group will operate more than 500 weekly flights to 49 destinations in Africa.
As part of its commitment to continue to offer the best possible service, the company provides customers travelling on its African routes personalized attentions and a custom-designed service both on board and at the airport.
Air France offers a more generous baggage allowance than on the rest of the long-haul network, to most African destinations – the first 3 items of baggage, each weighing no more than 32kg; Business: 2 items of baggage, each weighing no more than 32kg; Premium Economy: 2 items of baggage, each weighing no more than 23kg; Economy: 2 items of baggage, each weighing no more than 23kg.
At Paris-Charles de Gaulle, a team of experts from the African continent is present on all flights to and from Africa, where they provide commercial assistance to passengers, taking into account the geopolitical, commercial, regulatory and cultural characteristics of each country.
To make passenger handling easier, Air France has multicultural teams familiar with the specific expectations of its international customers. On a daily basis, they welcome close to 5,000 passengers, helping them with check-in and with their connections between flights. More than 2,500 cabin crew, belonging to Air France’s Africa and Middle East division, are trained in international standards and the specific expectations of customers on African routes.
Transport Minister Sam Wlue announced last month that the Air France was set to resume flights to Monrovia after months of negotiations.
Mr. Jean Luc Mévellec, the airlines regional manager informed the minister that the Roberts International Airport will be among its new destinations beginning 2020.
In 2014, the airline ended its Liberia route, attributing to little profit margins and a number of issues with the runway at the Roberts International Airport.
The airline had endured a turbulent run in Liberia.
In 2012, poor and dilapidated runaway at the Roberts International Airport inflicted damage on an AF752 which caused a rugged landing with damage set at almost a half a million dollars.
The forced landing Plane’s bottom right, main landing gear, hydraulic holes, brakes, and right main landing gear axle assembly ruined during a landing mishap. Perhaps the incident sparked the writing on the wall for the airline amid reports that Air France Airlines was contemplating ending its route to Liberia.
In addition to Air France, Major international carriers, like British Airways, which previously operated direct flights between Monrovia and Europe and Delta Airlines which operated a flight to and from New York that connecting through Accra all cut off Liberia. It is not clear what days or how many days a week the airline will fly once it resumes operation but in 2004, AIR FRANCE and KLM merged to form the AIR FRANCE-KLM Group.
Today, only SN Brussels, Royal Air Maroc and several intra-African carriers also use the airport.
The Air France schedule release comes as the US Embassy in Monrovia has announced suspension of non-immigration visa operations in Liberia. A bulk of travellers to the US rely on a very short window of airlines operating in Liberia’s space to Europe and America.