VisitScotland: Air France and Glasgow Airport celebrated start of new Paris to Glasgow route

Edinburgh, Scotland, Country, 2016-Mar-31 — /Travel PR News/ — This morning (30 March 2016) Air France and Glasgow Airport celebrated the start of the new Glasgow to Paris – Charles de Gaulle route.

On board the official inaugural Air France flight from Paris, which was greeted by a water cannon salute upon arrival, were Henri de Peyrelongue, Air France Senior Vice President Europe alongside French media and VIPs.

At International Arrivals, passengers and guests took part in a VIP champagne reception with traditional Scottish Highland dancing, local delicacies, as well as an official Quaich and ribbon cutting ceremony with local dignitaries from Visit Scotland and Glasgow City Marketing Bureau.

This celebration came after the operations began on Sunday 27 March 2016. The daily flight connects Glasgow to Air France’s international hub in Paris-Charles de Gaulle. The airline offers a number of connections to its worldwide network of over 130 destinations from Scotland, including Shanghai, Tokyo and New York. The daily flight is operated by an Airbus A318, carrying up to 131 passengers.

Flight Number	Origin	Destination	Departure (local time)	Arrival (local time)
AF 1056	Paris	Glasgow	7:30	8:15
AF 1057	Glasgow	Paris	9:00	11:50

Every year, close to 15 million visitors travel to Scotland for both business and leisure. By serving Glasgow from Paris-Charles de Gaulle, Air France is offering customers the opportunity to fly to one of the fastest growing destinations in Scotland, boasting strong economic and tourist attractions.

With the addition of the Air France Glasgow to Paris-Charles de Gaulle route, the AIR FRANCE KLM Group has strengthened its overall presence in Scotland and offers more than 150 weekly flights. In total the Group offers 7 routes from 4 Scottish airports (Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Inverness) to Paris-Charles de Gaulle or Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, where passengers will be able to connect to the extensive AIR FRANCE KLM worldwide network.

Warner Rootliep, General Manager AIR FRANCE KLM UK & Ireland said:

“Demand from Scotland continues to grow which is why our Group has always invested in its Scottish network and local relationships with the region. Today we celebrate the introduction of the Glasgow-Paris route and looking at the results of the route so far, I am confident we will make it a success. AIR FRANCE KLM’s Scottish offering will ensure that local businesses are better connected to key markets around the world and we are proud to provide the largest city in Scotland with connectivity to and from key worldwide destinations.”

Amanda McMillan, managing director of Glasgow Airport, said:

“To be able to officially welcome Air France to Glasgow Airport today is fantastic – both for the city and our customers.  Air France is a major player in the world of aviation with an extensive route network through its hub at Paris Charles de Gaulle into important global markets such as South America, China, India and Africa.

“The airline’s introduction of a daily service from Glasgow Airport this summer will play a crucial role in encouraging export led-growth, attracting further inward investment and supporting Scotland’s burgeoning tourism industry. Glasgow is the economic powerhouse of Scotland and the arrival of the French national flag carrier will further boost our connectivity with the world. We are looking forward to working with Air France to ensure the success of this exciting new service.”

Councillor Frank McAveety, Leader of Glasgow City Council and Chair of Glasgow City Marketing Bureau, said:

“The arrival of Air France’s inaugural Paris flight into Glasgow is a significant boost for the city’s economy. Securing France’s national air carrier and the introduction of a direct daily, year-round service will further strengthen cultural and business links between Paris, Glasgow and the wider west of Scotland. There will undoubtedly be strong demand for this service, which has the potential to deliver considerable inbound leisure and business tourism.

“It will also vastly improve the city’s competitiveness by providing passengers with greater worldwide connectivity through one of Europe’s largest hub airports and Air France’s membership of the SkyTeam alliance route network. Glasgow is constantly striving to grow its air links and connect the city to the global marketplace. We’re looking forward to working with Air France, Glasgow Airport and VisitScotland on joint marketing communications activity in the coming months to ensure the success of this new route.”

Malcolm Roughead, Chief Executive of VisitScotland, said:

“We are delighted to welcome the launch of Air France’s direct service from Paris-Charles de Gaulle to Glasgow Airport. The romance of its dramatic landscapes and the richness of its culture and traditions make Scotland a popular destination for visitors from France – currently one of our biggest European markets and set to deliver strong future growth. Glasgow, too, is increasingly becoming a must-visit destination for the French traveller, combining the cultural vibrancy of city life with the stunning scenery of Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park right on its doorstep.

“This new route presents a fantastic opportunity for Scottish tourism to grow through increased connectivity, not only for our French visitors, but also our long-haul and emerging markets via the Parisian global hub.”

– ENDS –

Nicola Macnaughton

Communications and Public Affairs Manager
Glasgow Airport Limited, Erskine Court, St Andrews Drive, Paisley PA3 2SW
E nicola.macnaughton@glasgowairport.com
M +44 (0)7770 363 023
DD +44 (0)141 848 4737

Notes to Editors

• Follow us on twitter: @visitscotnews
• VisitScotland is Scotland’s national tourism organisation. Its core purpose is to maximise the economic benefit of tourism to Scotland.
• The organisation’s core objective is to contribute to the Tourism 2020 Strategy ambition of growing tourism revenues by £1 billion by 2020.
• This will be supported by seven overarching strategies:
  1. Marketing: we will market Scotland and its outstanding assets to visitors from all parts of the world, including the promotion of Scotland to people living in Scotland       to visit different parts of the country
  2. Events: we will support the national events strategy and its delivery, and sustain, develop and promote Scotland’s international profile as one of the world’s foremost events destinations
  3. Internationalisation and International Engagement: we will utilise all our platforms to enable Scottish-based tourism businesses to better understand international       opportunities and market to a global audience and we will work within One       Scotland Partnerships to optimise the potential of Scotland’s Diaspora and our strategic partners at regional, European and global levels
  4. Customer Experience: we will provide information and inspiration to visitors both locally and globally via their preferred medium of choice
  5. Quality and Sustainability: we will provide support and advice to businesses, with the goal of improving the quality and sustainability of the tourism sector in Scotland. We will provide quality assurance to visitors through our Quality Schemes
  6. Inclusive Tourism: we will strive to make tourism in Scotland inclusive and available to all
  7. Working in Partnership: we will listen to and work with the industry, partners and communities to shape our offering and support
• VisitScotland works together with tourism businesses to make tourism a success for everyone and ensure the industry continues to grow.
• The organisation employs 700 people and has offices and VisitScotland Information Centres across Scotland.
• Spending by tourists in Scotland generates around £12 billion of economic activity in the wider Scottish supply chain and contributes around £6 billion to Scottish GDP (in basic prices). This represents about 5% of total Scottish GDP.
• The Scottish Government is the Managing Authority for the European Structural Funds 2014-20 Programme. For further information visit www.gov.scot or follow @scotgovESIF
• For VisitScotland’s press releases go to http://www.visitscotland.org/media_centre.aspx, tourism statistics and frequently asked questions go to http://www.visitscotland.org/
• Where possible, a Gaelic speaker will be made available for broadcast interviews on request (Far an tèid iarraidh, agus far am bheil sin nar comas, bruidhinnidh neach le Gàidhlig aig agallamh)
• For holiday information on Scotland go to www.visitscotland.com
• For information about business events in Scotland go to www.conventionscotland.com

Year of Innovation, Architecture and Design 2016

• 2016 will shine a spotlight on Scotland’s achievements in innovation, architecture and design through a wide-ranging, variety of new and existing activity.
• The Year of Innovation, Architecture and Design begins on 1 January 2016 and ends on 31 December 2016 and will build on the momentum generated by the current 2015 Year of Food and Drink as well as previous years including Homecoming Scotland 2014, the Year of Creative and the Year of Natural.
• Through a series of exciting events and activity, the year will showcase Scotland’s position as an “innovation nation”, its outstanding built heritage, and its thriving, internationally acclaimed creative industries sector.
• The Year of Innovation, Architecture and Design is a Scottish Government initiative being led by VisitScotland, and supported by a variety of partners including Scottish Government, Creative Scotland, Architecture + Design Scotland, Scottish Tourism Alliance, Scottish Enterprise, The National Trust for Scotland, Historic Environment Scotland, Highlands and Islands Enterprise and The Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland (RIAS).
• The Year of Innovation, Architecture and Design events fund is managed by EventScotland, part of VisitScotland’s Events Directorate.
• Join the conversation at #IAD2016
• Events can join the 2016 Year of Innovation, Architecture and Design Partner Programme throughout the year by visiting http://www.eventscotland.org/YIAD_partner_programme

Contact

Hamish Hutchinson
Corporate Press Officer – National
Edinburgh Tourism, International Initiatives, UK & Ireland Initiatives
hamish.hutchinson@visitscotland.com
0131 472 2283
Out of hours – 07699 766986

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