The two groups are establishing an unprecedented partnership based on a common roadmap for enhancing competitiveness, global influence, and the decarbonization of the Air France hub at Paris-Charles de Gaulle airport. This ambitious approach aims to promote both national and European sovereignty while positioning Air France's hub at Paris-Charles de Gaulle airport as a global leader.
On the occasion of the 55th edition of the Paris Air Show – and in the presence of French President Emmanuel Macron – Benjamin Smith, CEO of the Air France-KLM Group, and Philippe Pascal, Chairman and CEO of Groupe ADP, announced today the launch of “Connect France,” an ambitious action partnership intended to reinforce the cooperation between the two groups.
Connect France: Advancing Team France
The Connect France initiative was born from a shared conviction: in a complex geopolitical context and an environment of heightened competition, it is essential to strengthen the existing collaboration between the groups. Thus, Connect France aims to better align France's national airline and Europe's leading airport, positioning the Air France hub at Paris-Charles de Gaulle airport as a global reference.
Air France-KLM and Groupe ADP are strategic assets essential to France's sovereignty and attractiveness. Representing more than 870,000 direct, indirect, and induced jobs1 in France, they support employment and the entire country's economy, with a significant regional impact. Air France-KLM is the largest private employer in the Île-de-France region, and 11% of France's export value passes through Paris-Charles de Gaulle airport. By joining forces, the two groups are empowering themselves to strengthen the hub's position and drive success for Team France.
While France remains the world's foremost tourist destination, its connectivity is gradually being taken over by non-European players that benefit from a more attractive regulatory and tax framework. Hubs on Europe's borders are diverting traffic that once passed through European platforms in a form of silent offshoring. A decisive turnaround is necessary for France to maintain control of its connectivity and continue to possess a powerful global hub directly connected to all the world's economic centers.
This context calls for the collective mobilization of all stakeholders and support from the French State. In addition to a joint effort to raise awareness among French and European authorities about the competitive challenges in air transport, Connect France is designed to launch concrete initiatives. The two groups will provide regular updates on the progress of the work carried out under this partnership.
Making Air France's Hub at Paris-Charles de Gaulle airport a Global Benchmark
Much like other existing partnerships around the world that unite a hub with the airline based there, Connect France aims to strengthen the ties between Air France and Paris-Charles de Gaulle airport—the country's primary gateway—in order to position this duo at the very top of the industry and make it a benchmark for customer experience, operational performance, and decarbonization.
The two partners have already demonstrated their ability to tackle significant challenges together, notably during the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Connect France will build on this collaborative work and capitalize on the progress made in recent years.
"The current context calls for greater strategic alignment among all stakeholders in the air transport ecosystem in France, in line with the scale of the challenge," said Benjamin Smith, Chief Executive Officer of the Air France-KLM Group. "With Connect France, we are formalizing this essential approach to better face competition from non-European players who have long understood the importance of air transport for a nation's global influence and economy. I am pleased that this initiative is being carried out in partnership with the French State. It will also focus on improving the service we deliver to our customers, so that France can maintain its position as a key hub for aviation, with enhanced connectivity that creates local employment."
"Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport is a vital instrument of France's sovereignty in terms of connectivity, tourism, and the economy. In the face of fierce competition, France can shine by developing its global connections and offering an attractive, distinctive passenger experience. That is why we have decided to combine the strengths of our two groups to make France a competitive and truly unique global aviation power," said Philippe Pascal, Chairman and CEO of Groupe ADP. "I made this approach a priority from the very start of my term. Connect France introduces a new way of working between Groupe ADP and Air France-KLM, through concrete and swift initiatives focused on performance, differentiation, and the decarbonization of the hub—all in service of passengers.
Acting Quickly. Together.
The fast-track and priority actions are based on feedback from passengers, partners, and employees, aimed at improving and enriching the customer experience.
Fluidity
- Implementation of a “short connection pass”, a dedicated access to streamline the journey of passengers with short connections. It will be set up to create a smoother journey for passengers with very short connections. This service will be offered at check-in to travelers facing connections of less than one hour, prioritizing them for security checks with a dedicated route based on real-time information.
- Target for Summer 2025: Implementation of the system.
- Increase direct boarding via jet bridges to minimize bus transfers, especially for long-haul international passengers and those with connecting flights. Currently, the contact rate for the hub's wide-body aircraft is around 95%. Through operational optimization, double towing, and the creation of new wide-body aircraft parking positions in Terminal 2E (Hall K), the contact rate will gradually improve. Double towing refers to freeing up an aircraft parking stand during the turnaround of another aircraft, then quickly returning it to the gate.
- Target for 2026: Progressive growth in the wide-body contact rate (excluding construction work) with the objective of reaching the best rate in Europe and the Middle East.
Readability
- Renaming the hub terminals to enhance readability for passengers and facilitate navigating through the terminal, especially during connections. This new naming scheme, aligning with the best international standards. This new naming system will also improve the hub's operational management.
- Target by the end of 2025: Announcement of the new naming plan, to be deployed by 2026.
Attractiveness
- Launch a distinctive joint stop-over (tourist layover) offer to showcase the best of Paris and the Île-de-France region. This offer's objective, ranging from a few hours up to several nights, is to create a competitive advantage compared to other major global hubs by capitalizing on the strengths of Paris and the Île-de-France region (leisure, culture, history, entertainment, gastronomy, etc.).
- Target by the end of 2025: Launch of the new stop-over offer.
- Transform Terminal 2E, Hall K into France's flagship terminal – the world's most beautiful terminal – showcasing the best of French know-how: gastronomy from top chefs, fashion, jewelry, beauty, and cultural heritage. This level of French excellence will be reflected in the retail areas, the boarding areas, as well as Air France's Business and La Première lounges.
- Target by the end of 2025: Unveiling of the “flagship France” project, with an initial opening phase expected in early 2026 (central zone).
Sustainability
- Structure a joint support initiative for the development of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production. In the area of decarbonization, both groups are staking out their leadership positions: Air France is one of the world's leading buyers of sustainable aviation fuel, and Groupe ADP is positioning itself as a facilitator of low-carbon energy supply across its airports.
- Target by the end of 2025: In continuation of the CarbAero2 initiative, mutual support from both groups for European SAF producers.
Appendix:
The 10 Joint Initiatives of the Connect France Action Pact
between Air France and Groupe ADP
#1 – Hub Infrastructures
Collectively design the future infrastructures of the Air France hub
The redevelopment plan for Paris-Charles de Gaulle, looking ahead to 2035 and 2050, and subject to consultations from April to July 2025, will lead to transformational investments shaping the platform for the next 10 to 15 years. To ensure these projects best meet the Hub's needs, the two groups are establishing joint project teams to clarify and define their functional requirements together.
#2 – Operational Performance
Launch a series of joint initiatives to enhance the Hub's operational performance
This initiative aims to intensify and systematize the efforts of Air France-KLM and Groupe ADP in managing the Hub's capacity, particularly during peak times, as well as improving baggage handling and sorting systems with the goal of reducing baggage delivery times, enhancing punctuality (especially for early morning flights), and better managing aircraft turnaround performance.
#3 – Connecting Passenger Experience
Transforming the experience of connecting passengers with smoother transfers
Both groups commit to leveraging their expertise to simplify and enhance the journey of connecting passengers (better passenger information, clearer signage, streamlined and smoother airport journeys, etc.). Furthermore, they will provide unique experiences in boarding lounges and airline lounges that emphasize French savoir-faire and the unique character of Paris, differentiating themselves from competing hubs.
#4 – Intermodal Passenger Transport
Revamp the intermodal passenger transport offering and design a train station better suited to train-air connections
The development of intermodal passenger transport is at the heart of the redevelopment vision for Paris-Charles de Gaulle. Accordingly, the two groups will strengthen their collaboration to transform the passenger experience concerning train-air connections between the high-speed (“TGV”) rail station and the terminals, thereby enhancing the current offerings and preparing for the target vision.
#5 – Stop-Over Offer in Paris
Develop a distinctive offering focused on the destination of France
Among the differentiators from other global hubs, Paris-Charles de Gaulle benefits from a significant asset: the city of Paris. The ambition is to offer connecting passengers a taste of the French art de vivre, expressed not only within the airport but also in Paris through a stop-over offer in the capital and/or the Île-de-France region.
#6 – Brand Visibility
Enhance the airport's visibility by capitalizing on the strength of the two groups' brands
This initiative will build on the strength of the Air France and Paris Aéroport brands, both through visual communication within the terminals and through joint marketing campaigns, similar to those implemented by other airport/airline duos around the world. In addition, Groupe ADP and Air France-KLM aim to develop their commercial cooperation.
#7 – Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF)
Collaborate to accelerate the rollout of sustainable aviation fuel at Paris-Charles de Gaulle airport
Air France and Groupe ADP possess all the assets needed to establish the Paris-Charles de Gaulle hub as a global leader in the development of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). Beyond showcasing their joint efforts and cooperation within French and European industrial platforms, the two groups will explore opportunities for joint investments in the SAF value chain.
#8 – Energy and Environmental Challenges
Together, make the Air France hub at Paris-Charles de Gaulle airport a global benchmark in environmental performance
Air France and Groupe ADP share a common ambition to make Paris-Charles de Gaulle airport more sustainable by 2035 and 2050, and they will continue to develop synergies in areas such as electrification of operations, investment in renewable heat, operational optimization, pollution reduction, and climate change adaptation.
#9 – Border Crossing (Initiative Conducted in Partnership with the French National Directorate of the Border Police)
Support innovative solutions to improve border efficiency
In connection with the gradual rollout of the Entry Exit System (EES) starting in the fall of 2025, Air France-KLM and Groupe ADP, in close collaboration with the French National Directorate of Border Police, will do everything possible to maintain smooth border crossings. The initiative also aims to jointly advocate for new measures to streamline border processes, support the scaling-up of resources (such as automated fast-track crossing at external borders, known as “PARAFE”, and plan new border infrastructures.
#10 – Data and Innovation
Enhance data sharing and innovate together to strengthen the Hub
In strict compliance with current regulations, Air France-KLM and Groupe ADP plan to improve the sharing of operational and passenger data related to the connecting hub, thereby boosting performance and enabling them to communicate and offer new services to passengers. They will support innovations that enhance operational performance, the customer experience, and the fluidity of passenger journeys.
