Air France will fly twice daily between Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG) and Rio de Janeiro Galeão (GIG) from May 31, 2027, with both rotations operated by the Airbus A350-900. The move gives the Paris–Rio route 14 weekly departures in each direction and makes Rio the second South American city, after São Paulo, to receive two daily Air France flights.
The schedule
According to the timetable reported by Air Journal and first published by Brazilian outlets AeroIn and AirPlusNews, the two daily departures from Paris will be:
- AF512, departing CDG at 10:10 and arriving in Rio at 16:40
- AF442, departing CDG at 13:25 and arriving in Rio at 19:45
The return flights will leave Rio in the evening and arrive in Paris the following day:
- AF511, departing GIG at 18:55 and arriving at CDG at 10:55 the next day
- AF443, departing GIG at 22:00 and arriving at CDG at 14:15 the next day
The two timings spread the Paris departures across the late morning and early afternoon, and both return flights are overnight services that reach Charles de Gaulle in the morning or early afternoon of the following day.
Which A350 cabin?
Air France operates two A350-900 configurations. The original layout seats 324 passengers, with 34 seats in Business, 24 in Premium and 266 in Economy. The airline's newer configuration seats 292, with 48 Business, 32 Premium and 212 Economy seats. The reports do not specify which version will be assigned to Rio, and Air France notes that aircraft type and cabin configuration may change before the flights operate.
On either layout, the second daily rotation adds between 292 and 324 seats per day in each direction, and the newer cabin carries 14 more Business seats and eight more Premium seats than the original one.
Rio joins São Paulo
Until now, São Paulo was the only South American city with twice-daily Air France service. Adding Rio to that list underlines the importance of Brazil in the airline's long-haul network. Brazilian trade outlet Mercado & Eventos carried the news alongside reaction from Rio de Janeiro's hotel association, ABIH-RJ.
The airline is also adding capacity elsewhere in Brazil this winter. Air France's Paris–Salvador route, which opened in October 2024, will increase from three to five weekly flights between December 2026 and February 2027, also on the A350, covering the peak southern summer season.
Part of a wider A350 push
The Rio announcement follows other long-haul additions planned for the same season. Air France has already scheduled new A350 services from Paris to San Diego and Nashville from May 2027.
For passengers, the second frequency means more choice of departure times and more connecting options through Paris across Air France's network. For Rio, it adds a second daily nonstop link to one of Europe's largest hubs.
What to watch
Air France has not yet detailed fares or confirmed the exact cabin layout for the Rio flights. Travellers should expect the new flights to appear in booking systems ahead of the May 31, 2027 start date, and the airline may still adjust timings or equipment as the summer 2027 schedule is finalised.
Sources: Air Journal, AeroIn, AirPlusNews, Mercado & Eventos, Diário do Rio.
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