Are you planning to have a trip to France and looking for the Best French Airlines? We got you! France has a strong tourism industry in addition to its rich culture, great food, and gorgeous scenery.
French airlines have long been associated with elegance, luxury, and exceptional service. In this post, we’ll take you on a tour of the world of French airlines, looking at their history, important players, and what makes them unique in the competitive aviation business.
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10 Best French Airlines
1. Air France
A new airline was formed as a result of a merger in August 1933 and formally began business as “Air France” on October 7, of that year.
Right now, the firm is owned by Air France-KLM, one of Europe’s largest airline groups in terms of passenger traffic. Any business’s path to success is not linear, with numerous adjustments and hurdles.
Air France received its first award in 2005 in the prestigious award of Indian Ocean’s Leading Airline First Class, and throughout the time then, it has been selected in a number of other categories and has demonstrated its achievement by obtaining ten honors, such as World’s Leading Airline Premium Economy Class 2022 and World’s Leading Airline Business Class.
Air France-KLM has one of the best and most geographically diversified worldwide networks in the airline business. It has a significant presence in Asia, the United States, and the Middle East, in addition to Europe.
Popular Routes:
- Paris (Orly) to Nice
- Nice to Paris
- Geneva to Paris
- Toulouse to Paris
- Paris to Marseille
2. Twin Jet
Twin Jet operates as a French regional airline serving various European locations. The airline, based in Aix en Provence, France, was founded in 2001 and has been a Flying Blue partner since 2002.
TWIN JET’s fleet consists of 13 aircraft that provide comfort and safety. These aircraft are certified for landings and takeoffs in all types of weather.
As a result, these aircraft provide the most recent technology advancements while meeting all of the General Direction of Civil Aviation’s standards.
All Twin Jet flights are direct, provide several services on board, and satisfy all of the GDCA’s safety criteria. The Twin Jet corporation rounds out its offerings with on-demand jet chartering, hygienic transportation, and aeronautical instruction and servicing.
Twin Jet aims for safety by using trained staff both in flight and on land, all of whom have received specific training from Air Qualifications.
Popular Routes:
- Marseille to Toulouse
- Pau (Pyrenees) to Lyon
- Marseille to Milan
- Lyon to Milan
- Lyon to Lille
3. Hop!
Air France Hop, previously known as HOP!, is a small airline in France that operates flights as part of its holding company Air France.
HOP! began operations in March 2013, having 530 daily flights including a contemporary fleet of 98 aircraft featuring seating capacities ranging from 48 to 100 seats.
HOP! It is today one of the largest European regional airline businesses, serving over 50 daily routes with its own set of aircraft and staff and 32 trips on behalf of Air France.
It was announced in October 2018 that HOP! will have to deal with reorganization procedures such as the unification of all operations under the parent company’s AF flight codes and a modification of the aircraft types operated.
Popular Routes:
- Paris to Toulouse
- Nantes to Lyon
- Paris to Montpellier
- Lyon to Biarritz
- Bourdeaux to Marseille
4. Corsair France
Corsair is a French firm that specializes in French Overseas Departments, and its generosity and attention to detail have been known for almost 40 years. The fleet will be updated in 2021 with the introduction of five new Airbus aircraft.
Corsair is devoted to the aviation industry’s energy transformation. The new Airbus A330neo’s environmental impact is greatly improved over prior generation aircraft, with a 25% decrease in fuel usage and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions per seat.
Corsair’s business class delivers a wonderful journey with a Michelin-starred dinner made by chefs and an excellent quality of sleep owing to the coolest cabin on the flight and fully adjustable bed chairs with individual access.
Corsair was named best airline by Travel d’Or in 2023, while the Travelers Club awarded it a bronze medal for the excellence of its Business class in 2021.
Popular Routes:
- Paris (Orly) to Saint-Denis
- Saint-Denis to Dzaoudzi
- Antananarivo to Saint-Denis
- Lyon to Marseille
- Bamako to Paris (Orly)
5. French Bee
The Dubreuil Group, situated in Belleville sur Vie, France, runs airlines through its subsidiaries, including French Bee. Established in France in 2016, they entered the US market with a nonstop trip in 2018.
Christine Ourmières-Widener has been named CEO of French Bee, marking her the airline’s first female CEO. French Bee has two service levels: economy and premium economy.
French Bee and Alaska Airlines have an interline agreement that allows passengers to purchase a bundled ticket for a French Bee flight accompanied or followed by an Alaska Airlines aircraft.
Popular Routes:
- New York to Paris (Orly)
- Miami to Paris (Orly)
- San Francisco to Tahiti
- San Francisco to Paris (Orly)
- Paris (Orly) to Saint-Denis
6. Chalair Aviation
Chalair Aviation is a French minor airline situated at France’s Carpiquet Airport. The airline operates scheduled regional trips to approximately 15 French locations.
Chalair Aviation was created in 1986 and started out offering commercial and corporate transport services, including freight, aircraft maintenance and engineering, and pilot licensing and schooling.
Chalair Aviation provides one piece of carry-on luggage free of charge to each passenger. Chalair Aviation luggage may not exceed 115 cm in length and must not weigh more than 10kg.
Flight attendants on the airline are at all times prepared to assist you. The snack box includes a bottle of water, packets of cookies and crackers, plus an extra amenity package with headphones and a towel.
Popular Routes:
- Aurillac to Paris (Orly)
- Paris (Orly) to Brest
- Lyon to Limoges
- Castres to Paris (Orly)
- Brest to Bordeaux
7. Evolem Aviation
Hex Air is a regional airline headquartered at Le Puy Loudes Airport in France. In 2017, Hex Air amalgamated with a French rival, Twin Jet.
The airline was founded on March 30, 1991, and is operated by Financiere Hex’Air, and employed eight people as of 2007. The airline introduced an Embraer ERJ 145 as part of its service in 2006.
The acquisition of Hex’Air by Fleet Management Airways Group in 2016 extended Twin Jet’s inventory of Beechcraft 1900 airplanes to 12, providing an extensive range of 15 destinations. Hex’Air maintains to fly as a Twin Jet under the UD code.
Popular Routes:
- Beirut to Baghdad
- Baghdad to Damascus
- Erbil to Beirut
- Trabzon to Erbil
- Erbil to Damascus
8. La Compagnie
La Compagnie operates as a French airline based at Paris’ Charles de Gaulle Airport. The Paris-based airline, founded in 2014, remains loyal to its boutique beginnings, with a modest operation in the United States; all flights fly to and from New York-Newark.
La Compagnie got the Travellers’ Choice Award for the second year in a row in 2020. Frantz Yvelin, a French airline entrepreneur, founded and runs it in the hopes of creating an all-business class airline with a real low-cost structure, providing business-class tickets.
La Compagnie began flying from Paris to New York in 2014, followed by Luton to New York in 2015. The airline has also recently launched a new all-business class service from Nice to Newark Airport.
This airline’s cabin stands out in that it is limited to seats. Their seating configuration provides maximum seclusion combined with comfort since each person has their own fixed shell.
Passengers on La Compagnie Airlines can accumulate points with each flight. Passengers who choose to travel in Promo will get one point, Smart will receive two, and Flex will earn four.
Popular Routes:
- Paris to Nice
- Milan to New York
- Paris to New York
- New York to Milan
- Nice to New York
9. Transavia France
Transavia France is a low-cost airline established in France that operates as an autonomous subsidiary of the Air France-KLM company. Its primary hub is the Paris-Orly airport.
It was founded in November 2006 and named transavia.com France by Air France along with the Dutch airline Transavia, and it commenced services in May 2007 with booked and charter flights throughout the world.
With a great performance in 2023, the Air-France-KLM Group has made a remarkable comeback from the pandemic. Class capacity was 90% of 2019 output as of July 2023, with an estimated load factor of 89%.
Transavia’s leisure demand for passengers has been continuing to expand, with passenger numbers growing by 12% when compared to 2022. It anticipates continuous growth and strong trends for the rest of the year.
Popular Routes:
- Dublin To Paris
- Seville To Paris
- Copenhagen To Paris
- Ibiza To Paris
- Eindhoven to Bordeaux
10. APG Airlines
APG Airlines, a French airline located at Toulouse Blagnac Airport, was founded by APG, one of the world’s top network providers of transportation and distribution operations for airlines.
APG Airlines operates as a passenger and freight airline located in France that was founded in 1991. The airline provides both scheduled and charter services. APG Airlines’ President and CEO is Sandrine de Saint Sauveur.
APG Airlines is the basis for the Interline product (APG IET), which has been in operation for several years with over 70 airline partners. This product is accessible in every country on the planet.
They have formed connections with important institutions in the aviation business, and they are always inventive when it comes to airline commercialization.
Popular Routes:
- Toulouse to Lorient
- Lorient to Toulouse
- Havana to Merida
Hi, I’m Christine – a full-time traveler and career woman. Although I’m from the Philippines, my location independent career took me to over 40 countries and lived in 4 continents in the last 10 years, including France. A self-proclaimed Francophile, I love everything France.