Air France to Serve One in Five Athletes Traveling to the Paris Olympics: Special Check-In Facility at the Athletes’ Village and 15 Spare Aircraft on Standby
Air France has revealed its estimate that one in five athletes participating in the Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games will be using its flights.
As of June 11, the forecast is to transport 15% of Olympic athletes, 35% of Paralympic athletes, and 13% of related personnel, mainly comprising athletes from Brazil, the United States, Italy, and Japan. A significant number of athletes, delegations, and supporters are expected to arrive in Paris from July 24 to 26 and depart from August 11 to 13, with a daily usage peak of up to 125,000 people.
During the games, a special facility at the athletes’ village will offer luggage check-in and provide exclusive routes to and from the airport for three days before and after the closing ceremony. Up to 125 staff members will handle the service, available not only to those flying with Air France and other SkyTeam member airlines but also with other carriers.
Olympic athletes carry an average of four bags each, one of which is oversized, prompting the organization of a dedicated support center to anticipate and adjust operations in collaboration with logistics stakeholders. This is in anticipation of a tenfold increase in the transportation of oversized luggage, including kayaks and competition bicycles, at peak times. Paralympic athletes, on average, travel with two wheelchairs, leading to an enhanced assistance team under the SAPHIR service.
Additionally, an unprecedented number of spare aircraft will be deployed, with seven allocated for long-haul flights and eight for medium-haul flights, ensuring the availability of substitutes if scheduled aircraft cannot be operated. Seasonal hiring has added 800 cabin crew members and 250 ground staff.
During the event, there will be an increase in passengers traveling to Paris as their final destination, with peak periods seeing over 60% of passengers ending their journey in the city, compared to the usual fifty-fifty split between those staying and those transferring.
