Air France just added a 787-9 Dreamliner flight to Denver

Well, this sure is an interesting addition!

As @AirlineFlyer reports on Twitter, Denver International Airport (DEN) just shared the news that Air France will be launching nonstop service between DEN and Paris (CDG) beginning on July 2, 2021, operating three times a week through Oct. 29.

Colorado and France are both especially appealing summer destinations, but the U.S. is currently closed to Europeans and Europe is inaccessible to Americans. It's unclear exactly who would be able to travel on this new flight, but the optimist in me is hoping Air France knows something we don't!

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Air France is planning to fly a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner between the two cities, including 30 business-class seats, 21 premium economy seats and 225 seats in coach. The airline is expecting to operate the following schedule, according to TPG sister site ExpertFlyer, with service on Sundays, Wednesdays and Fridays:

Denver is a major hub for United Airlines, a member of the Star Alliance. Air France, however, is a member of competitor SkyTeam, meaning flight connections from DEN are likely to be quite limited. Notably, this is the first time a SkyTeam member has connected Denver to Europe without a stop.

This summer, Denver is also expecting to offer flights via British Airways and United to London (LHR). There will be flights from Denver to Frankfurt (FRA) on Lufthansa and United. Denver will also see Munich (MUC) service with Lufthansa, and Zurich (ZRH) service with Swiss/Edelweiss Air.

Air France is expecting to begin selling its new flight as soon as today, April 15. While pricing has not yet been released, SkyTeam currently sells one-stop flights on Delta, starting at $1,049 in economy and $3,115 in business class, so that may give you an idea of what to expect on the fare front.

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It's important to note that "Service start is contingent on changes to travel bans currently in effect which do not allow non-essential travel between the United States and Europe," as the airport notes in its press release. That's just one itsy bitsy challenge to iron out.

In a separate press release, Air France said, "This new destination will thus strengthen Air France's service to the United States. Subject to the easing of travel restrictions, the airline will offer flights to 12 US cities during the 2021 summer season: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Detroit, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, Minneapolis, New York, San Francisco and Washington D.C."