Jet Airways launches inaugural service between Mumbai and Paris

MUMBAI - Jet Airways, India’s premier international airline, today launched its inaugural direct flight from Mumbai to Paris. The services to Paris Charles de Gaulle, France, will be operated using a state-of-the-art Airbus A330 flight four days a week on Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. The flight will become a daily operation with effect from June 26, 2014.

Just ahead of the take off of its inaugural flight from Mumbai’s new Terminal T2, Chattrapati Shivaji International Airport, the airline conducted a multi-faith pooja and lit a ceremonial lamp to mark the occasion of its inaugural flight to Paris. The lamp lighting ceremony was led by Chief Guest Mr. Jean-Raphael Peytregnet, Consul General for France in Mumbai and other dignitaries and senior management from Jet Airways.

Jet Airways flight 9W 124 duly took off from Terminal T2 at the Chattrapati Shivaji International Airport in Mumbai at 1200 hours with a full complement of Premiere and Economy Class guests and will arrive at Paris Charles De Gaulle airport on at 1750 hours (local time).

The airline also announced that it had expanded its code share partnership with Air France, a major player in the European airline industry, thus offering guests access to unmatched network connectivity between Europe and India via Paris. As per the new expanded code share, both carriers will place their marketing codes on each other’s flights on the Mumbai – Paris trunk route. This will leave guests with a choice of a dual frequency as an additional schedule option, offering convenient timings by providing a morning and evening departure and arrival at both the destinations. This code share is already open for sale for travel effective 25th May 2014.

The Jet Airways and Air France schedules on the Mumbai - Paris trunk route:

Legend: BOM = Mumbai; CDG = Paris Charles de Gaulle

In addition to the codeshare on the trunk route, the new expanded arrangement will further afford guests connectivity via Air France’s hub in Paris to over twenty three major cities across Europe, giving guests seamless and convenient connectivity beyond Paris to a multitude of new European destinations, including points across Scandinavia, and the Czech Republic.

Domestic connectivity within France would also be enhanced to include cities like Nice, Lyon, Marseille, and Toulouse. The new expanded code share will also afford guests significantly enhanced connectivity within the European Union as it would cover destinations like:

· Barcelona and Madrid in Spain
· Munich, Dusseldorf, Stuttgart, Berlin, Hamburg in Germany
· Prague in the Czech Republic
· Dublin in Ireland
· Birmingham, Manchester and Newcastle in the United Kingdom
· Geneva and Zurich in Switzerland
· Vienna in Austria
· Amsterdam in the Netherlands
· Copenhagen in Denmark
· Stockholm in Sweden and
· Oslo in Norway

Similarly, Air France will also have its marketing code (AF) on key routes on Jet Airways’ domestic network connecting major cities such as Chennai, Hyderabad and Kolkata beyond Mumbai, Delhi and Bengaluru. Thus, allowing guests to seamlessly connect between multiple points across Europe and India on the codeshare services offered by Jet Airways and Air France thus exponentially improving choice and convenience.

Furthermore, with the long standing partnership between Jet Airways’ Jet Privilege and Air France’s Flying Blue loyalty programs, frequent flyer members enjoy mileage accrual and redemption benefits across the entire networks of both carriers. With this expansion, members will also be able to accrue status miles on the code share flights, thus enabling them to maintain or upgrade their tier status in their respective loyalty programs.

Guests can now book a ticket between India and France with Jet Airways via the airline’s website www.jetairways.comor through travel agencies.

Mr. Gaurang Shetty, Senior Vice President – Commercial, Jet Airways, said, “With the new direct flight and our recently expanded code share partnership, Jet Airways will now be able to offer its guests unmatched connectivity and seamless travel from India to Europe via Paris. Jet Airways has constantly endeavored to offer enhanced travel opportunities to its guests and our code share agreement with Air France in that sense is another distinctive travel solution, as it will offer guests access to over twenty three major cities across Europe. We are thus, delighted to partner with a carrier of the global reach of Air France, as it will in turn further strengthen our connectivity and reach within Europe and beyond. This is important, as Europe has been a popular destination both in terms of tourism and business for the Indian market.”

"Air France is very pleased with this important step in expanding its cooperation with Jet Airways. Our extensive network will offer unparalleled access to over twenty three key destinations in Europe providing another tangible benefit for customers of both airlines.
This move of dual departure and arrival options will also improve our offer for our leisure as well as corporate travelers" shared Mr. Tjalling Smit , Senior Vice President, Middle East Gulf & India , Air France KLM. “Both airlines can look forward to the mutual strengthening of potential markets through Jet Airways’ extensive route network into India and through Air France KLM's strong network in Europe”, added Smit.

Photo caption : Chief Guest Mr. Jean-Raphael Peytregnet, Consul General for France Mumbai, along with Mr. Gaurang Shetty, Sr. Vice President - Commercial, Jet Airways cutting the ribbon to inaugurate Jet Airways check -in counters for Inaugural flight 9W 124 Mumbai - Paris.

Sourced: traveldailynews