Air France‑KLM expands winter network, faces crew travel directive and TAP sale

Winter network additions

Air France‑KLM Martinair Cargo will operate a winter schedule from 25 October 2026 to 27 March 2027, serving 14 freighter destinations, 112 wide‑body belly destinations worldwide and 54 destinations in Europe. The carrier will add three weekly Boeing 777F flights to Cairo, Egypt, and two weekly Boeing 777F flights to Navi Mumbai International Airport instead of Mumbai. Services to Seoul will operate three times weekly, including one standalone flight and two combined with Hong Kong. New passenger services from Paris Charles de Gaulle will include three weekly Boeing 777‑300ER flights to Punta Cana from November and two weekly Airbus A350‑900 flights to Malé from December.

New Nashville‑Paris nonstop

Nashville International Airport will launch new nonstop flights to Paris‑Charles de Gaulle with Air France. The launch event will be hosted by the airport’s president and CEO, Governor Bill Lee, and representatives of Air France.

Tap Air Portugal sale

The Portuguese government will decide on a buyer for 44.9 percent of Tap Air Portugal on 14 October. Lufthansa Group has been chosen over Air France‑KLM to acquire the stake, offering to pay the full purchase price in cash while Air France‑KLM offered a partial equity stake. The pilots union criticised Lufthansa for allegedly unethical, union‑hostile practices that could threaten workplace social peace.

The government said it will announce the buyer for the 44.9 percent stake very soon, describing the ideal buyer as having size, investment power and international reach to strengthen the airline’s competitiveness and to expand operations and connectivity across the Portuguese airport network, including Lisbon, Porto, Faro, the Azores and Madeira. A new international airport in Alcochete near Lisbon is expected to cost up to nine billion euros and begin operations in 2034.

Panama earthquake diversion

An Air France Airbus A350‑900 bound for Panama City turned back and returned to Paris Charles de Gaulle on 9 October 2026 after a magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck at 12:56 local time (19:56 Paris time). The epicentre was 10 km from the town of Pitaloza Arriba in Herrera province.

Crew travel directive

An internal Air France note allegedly excludes crew members from flights to Israel based on nationality or dual nationality with a state not maintaining diplomatic relations with Israel, targeting 31 nationalities. The CGT claims the measure is discriminatory and violates French labour law. Air France issued a directive requiring crew members of the 31 nationalities to refrain from flights to Israel; at least 1,240 crew members of those nationalities landed in Israel in 2026 despite the restriction.