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Air France is bringing back its seasonal direct service between Cape Town and Paris for the 2026/27 summer season, with flights operating from September 22, 2026, until March 27, 2027.
The direct route will start off with three weekly flights from the Mother City to Paris-Charles de Gaulle on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays. These services will depart Cape Town shortly after midnight at 12.15am and arrive in Paris at 12.15pm the same day. It's a tricky departure time - with passengers careful to arrive at the airport the evening before the departure date shown on the ticket!
From November 1, Air France will increase the route to five flights a week, operating every day except Tuesdays and Thursdays. Flights will leave Cape Town at 8.30am and land in Paris at 7.20pm. All services will be operated using the airline’s Airbus A350-900 aircraft.
"Cape Town and Paris are two destinations with an incredibly strong connection, whether through tourism, business, culture or the many South Africans who travel to France each year," says Wilson Tauro, Country Manager Southern Africa at Air France-KLM.
"Increasing the service to five flights a week for the majority of the season gives our customers even greater flexibility when planning their European travels."
The route’s return comes as Cape Town continues to attract global attention. The Mother City placed sixth in Time Out’s ranking of the World’s Best Cities for 2026, making it the highest-ranked African city and placing it ahead of Mexico City, Bangkok, Seoul and Tokyo. Based on insights from more than 24,000 people across 150 cities, the result underlines Cape Town’s enduring appeal to international travellers.
By contrast, Paris was ranked 22nd in the overall list - yet there is clearly no doubt that Capetonians longing for a Parisian escape will find the new direct connectivity worthwhile - also adding onward connections across Europe and Air France’s wider international network through its Paris-Charles de Gaulle hub.
New Direct Paris route need-to-know details:
September 22 to October 31, 2026
- Flights: Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays
- Cape Town departure: 12.15am
- Paris arrival: 12.15pm
- Frequency: Three flights a week
November 1, 2026, to March 27, 2027
- Flights: Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Cape Town departure: 8.30am
- Paris arrival: 7.20pm
- Frequency: Five flights a week
Bookings are now open through the Air France website, its mobile app and participating travel agents.
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