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Air France prepares for peak departures after Paris Olympics

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Air France Plane | Air France

Air France is gearing up for a significant influx of Olympic and Paralympic athletes as the Paris 2024 Games draw to a close. The airline, an official partner of the event, anticipates peak departures on Monday, August 12th, with nearly 3,000 delegates expected to travel on 280 flights. This weekend will also see the arrival of the first Paralympic delegations, comprising nearly 200 accredited delegates on approximately 15 flights.

In preparation for this critical period, Air France has mobilized its teams to ensure smooth operations. Since the competition began, the airline has transported over 10,000 accredited guests from more than 150 nationalities. Notably, more than one-third of these guests arriving in Paris by air chose Air France.

To facilitate athlete departures, Air France has established a dedicated system within the Olympic Village. Over three days—August 10th to 12th—more than 125 customer service agents will manage baggage check-ins in a specially designated area. This "miniature airport" setup allows luggage to be secured and transported to Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport ahead of departure. On average, each athlete travels with four pieces of luggage, including oversized items like kayaks and vaulting poles.

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Athletes will be shuttled to the airport on their departure day via a special route leading them through a dedicated terminal before reaching their boarding gates. Similar arrangements are planned for Paralympic athletes departing on September 7th to 9th.

Air France's off-site check-in system is unprecedented in scale for the airline. As Paralympic athletes begin arriving in Paris with just under three weeks until their competition starts, operational teams and SAPHIR—the airline’s service for people with disabilities—are fully prepared. The service expects higher-than-average volumes of wheelchairs and specialized sports equipment; typically, each wheelchair-using athlete travels with two wheelchairs.

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