Air France enjoys considerable connectivity to the UK through its main hub at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG), and, while its British reach isn’t quite as extensive as that of its fellow SkyTeam member KLM, it still plans to spread its coverage by serving seven UK airports this year. Of these, it is already flying to five on a regular basis, with a sixth set to be added to its roster later in the summer. The seventh, however, is a different matter.

Indeed, Air France plans to cash in on demand from both rugby fans and romantics with a short-term route over a single long weekend this month. As it stands, there are no plans for the French flag carrier to serve the corridor in question on a more regular basis, but, in aviation, you can never say never.

One Weekend In Wales

The short-term destination that Air France plans to briefly add to its UK roster next month is Cardiff Airport (CWL) in the south of Wales. From February 13 to 16, the French flag carrier and SkyTeam founding member will operate six round trips from Paris CDG to the Welsh capital, with the bulk of these taking place at the back end of the long weekend. For Welsh passengers, this provides a perfect opportunity for a Valentine’s trip to Paris.

However, there is also a compelling case for French passengers on this route on that particular weekend, given that February 15 is also the date when France will take on Wales in a rugby union match in Cardiff as part of the 2026 Guinness Men’s Six Nations championship. Whether travelers are interested in love or line-outs, the route suits guests at both ends of the corridor, with Cardiff Airport CEO Jon Bridge explaining in December that:

« We’re thrilled to offer direct flights to such a vibrant and exciting city for Valentine’s weekend. Cardiff Airport is expanding its reach and giving customers fantastic travel options. We’ve listened to passenger demand. »

Five Existing Routes

Right now, there are no reported plans for Air France to add Cardiff to its regular roster of UK airports. At present, this list consists of five destinations that are served from Paris Charles De Gaulle Airport, with passengers able to either visit the French capital as a city in its own right or avail of Air France’s onward connectivity to other destinations. Unsurprisingly, London Heathrow Airport (LHR) is the most frequently served of these facilities.

Indeed, data from Cirium, an aviation analytics company, shows that Air France has scheduled 209 round trips from Paris CDG to Heathrow with its Airbus A220s this month, amounting to an average of almost seven return flights a day. This is despite compelling high-speed rail competition from Eurostar.

Elsewhere, Birmingham (BHX) and Manchester (MAN) are the next most popular UK destinations when it comes to Air France’s flights from its main hub at Paris Charles de Gaulle, with three round trips a day in January 2026. Meanwhile, Newcastle (NCL) averages around 2.5, while Edinburgh (EDI) has two.

London (Gatwick) Calling

Such is the demand for Air France’s flights to London that, starting on March 29, the French flag carrier will also serve the city’s secondary Gatwick Airport (LGW) on a twice-daily basis from Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport using the Airbus A220. This facility is the second-busiest airport not just in London but, indeed, the UK as a whole, and offers a more convenient option for passengers starting their journeys in the southeast of England.

In a corresponding statement published last December, London Gatwick Airport was keen to highlight the fact that passengers from its considerable catchment area will be able to connect to a « global network of nearly 170 destinations across 73 countries » in the French capital. Air France will face competition from easyJet, which flies from Gatwick to Paris CDG, as well as Vueling, which serves the French capital’s secondary Orly Airport (ORY).