Air France confirmed on 23 September that it will operate the official papal flights for Leo XIV’s 25-28 September apostolic journey, assigning an Airbus A350-900 configured with two bespoke cabins. The forward section will seat the pontiff, cardinals, Swiss Guards and senior Holy-See officials, while the rear will host more than 80 accredited journalists. The airline’s charter arm Transavia will also run a dedicated Orly–Lourdes rotation for additional clergy and media, illustrating the group’s ability to mobilise multiple brands at short notice. The flag-carrier has been working with the French Civil Aviation Authority (DGAC), Vatican protocol services and Aéroports de Paris since early July to secure priority slots at Paris-Orly, Lourdes-Tarbes and Metz-Nancy-Lorraine. A back-up aircraft and crew will remain on standby at CDG in compliance with EU-OPS contingency rules. For Air France, the mission is both symbolic and commercial. The airline last carried a pope exactly 30 years ago (John Paul II in 1996) and sees the assignment as a showcase for its premium long-haul product ahead of the 2027 Rugby World Cup. Executives told reporters that the operation required “Olympic-level” planning, including special security screening, closed-door boarding, and dry-run taxi tests to ensure the 66-metre-long jet can park nose-in at Orly’s old government apron. Business-travel managers have been warned to expect short-term capacity constraints on domestic routes because two Airbus wide-bodies will be pulled from the regular schedule. Cargo customers face a three-day embargo on live animals and to-temperature freight through the affected airports due to reinforced security perimeters. Air France says it will publish last-minute gate changes via its API so corporate booking tools can update traveller itineraries automatically, but urges companies to brief travellers about tighter access controls at Orly during the visit.
Source: Air France Press Office
