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In this post we will review what was the history of Air France in Ecuador, anticipating his return to the country after 25 years with direct flights between Paris and Quito. Photo by Jose G. Ocando.
Was 1.994 when for the last time an Air France plane landed in Quito covering the route from Paris via Bogotá. back then, reduced or no profitability of the route due to low demand, along with higher costs for operating the route with the then new Airbus A340-300 with four engines, They said goodbye to the main French airline in our country.
But now and after 25 years the 14 May of this 2019, Air France will land again in Ecuador with 3 weekly frequencies direct from Paris to Quito initially operated, by Airbus A340-300 aircraft.
Thanks to a growing international airline market in Ecuador, to the increase in tourist arrivals and greater confidence for investment, The airline will land on Tuesday, Thursdays and Saturdays at Quito Mariscal Sucre Airport and will do so throughout the year and even, Since October, it has been the first operator of the modern Boeing 787 Dreamliner in the capital.
Under this context, we review as best as possible, what was the story of Air France in Ecuador. There may be differences in dates, but I invite those who have more details and photographs to share them to complement this post.
First Air France flight to Ecuador
The 14 march 1958 landed for the first time in Quito, Ecuador an Air France flight. At that time the flight was operated with the most modern aircraft of the time., the Lockheed Super Constellation as the first adventure of the French airline in South America.
Air France in 1965
With Air France flight number 212 landed for the first time in Quito on 14 march 1965 the airline flight with the Boeing 707, at that time covering the Paris route – Lisboa (Portugal) – Pointe-a-Pitre (Guadalupe) – Caracas (Venezuela) – Bogota (Colombia) – Quito (Ecuador) – Lima (Peru) and Santiago (Chile) in what were known as "milk flights" for making multiple stops in different cities from their origin to the final destination.
back then, the flights were operated by Boeing aircraft 707 in its 320B versions, 320C y 320 Intercontinental, which had a capacity from 141 passengers in two classes and a range of 3.750 nautical miles. Subsequently, These were replaced by the Airbus A300 and A310 aircraft., but these did not operate in Ecuador
During the years 70
With the entry into service of the first Boeing 747-100 of Air France and 3 June 1970, Air France turned its business around and began a new era by offering a different product of an even higher standard.
By the mid-seventies, specifically on thursday 2 November 1977, The airline began operations of this aircraft in its South American segments, including Quito., maintaining the same Boeing flights 707 since the first versions of the Boeing 747-100 had similar autonomy, but with a greater number of passengers.
Subsequently, with the introduction of the Boeing 747-200 that offered extended autonomy to more than 6.500 nautical miles the route was transformed and Air France began to divide its segments, separating the northern section of South America with the southern section, reducing the stopovers only to Bogotá before reaching Quito..
The 90s
For 1993 Air France receives its first Airbus A340-200 and A340-300 aircraft and assigns them for its routes to South America to replace the Boeings 747 offering less capacity, but with lower operating costs than the B747 had to compensate for its greater availability of seats.
Since that year, the Airbus A340-300 lands for the first time covering the Paris route. – Bogota – Quito, but this route did not last long given the demand that was generated with the final destination of Quito was low., so shortly after in 1994 the route is suspended, but before the suspension the flight covered the Paris route – Quito – Lima – Paris and direct, Therefore, Ecuador already had direct flights from France at the time..
After the suspension and in alliance with shared code with Tame The route is maintained as an extension of the Paris Bogotá flight until April 1998 when the Air France flight AF422 operated by the then Ecuadorian military, stop operating, thus seeing the name of the company in the country for the last time.
Welcome back Air France to Ecuador!
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The increase in tourists to Ecuador that you talk about at the beginning of this post is totally false.. We should be more serious when we express opinions, It is evident that particularly in Quito and Ecuador there is a total decline in the number of tourists. I work in the Hotel Area and the number of tourists arriving in the country is increasingly lower. , for different reasons ranging from insecurity, to the costs since Ecuador is an expensive destination and this leaves us in a situation of not being able to compete with Colombia and Peru, which are our neighbors and take away part of the tourists who previously preferred our country..
It's not fake, since they are statistics that are official from the Ministry of Tourism, that we should not doubt its veracity, or yes?. Please submit your false comment to this entity. Thanks.
They forget to comment on the accident of the Tame B-727 in Bogotá as a continuation of the Air France flight Paris -Bogotá-Quito.
It is a positive historical post for the return of AF to Ecuador, I did not find it appropriate to mention the unfortunate accident that further distanced Air France from Ecuador at that time..
Hi Nicolas
I was very moved by your post.. I worked at Air France since 1992 a 1994 And with enormous sadness I was part of the group of collaborators who saw the French airline leave Ecuador.. It's a joy to know that 25 Years later he returned on a direct flight to Quito and wanted to position himself in our market.. I have no doubt that it will be a total success.. As a precision, I tell you that I clearly remember that the last flights in 1994 were 2 Weekly frequencies that covered the Paris Quito Lima Paris route …I had the privilege of flying that direct route from Paris to Quito on the Airbus 340 and that same year flights to Quito and Lima were suspended.
Long life for AF in Quito. Welcome!!!!
Hello Renato, what excellent information, thank you very much for sharing it.
Finally we will have this airline again in Ecuador