The French airline Air France maintains its intention to reopen the Paris-Maputo route, closed for decades, according to the company’s CEO, Anne Rigail, confirmed this week.
Speaking after an audience with the President of the Republic, Filipe Nyusi, Rigail set for the end of October the resumption of the operation, initially scheduled to begin next June.
“The global context and the world health situation (the Covid-19 crisis) have led us to delay this air link,” he said.
The head of Air France assured that the plan will be put into effect. “We are really committed to going to Maputo.”
“We are confident that by then the global situation will help us to (re)open this route and make it a real success,” she said.
Air France’s hope rests on the assumption that by October most European countries and other developed nations will have most of their populations vaccinated and with more freedom to move and travel abroad.
On the other hand, although far behind schedule, by October the vaccination programs of many African countries will be relatively more advanced, thanks to the relatively greater availability of vaccines worldwide and promises of immunizer donations from wealthier nations.
Air France announced in April its intention to include Maputo in its routes as an extension of its flight between Johannesburg (South Africa) and Paris, justifying the decision with the fact that Mozambique “is emerging as an important business destination due to its rich natural energy reserves,” an allusion to the natural gas projects in Cabo Delgado, the main one of which is led by the French oil company Total.
Air France’s PCA confirmed Tuesday that the route will be operated by a Boeing 777-300ER with two weekly connections. Flights from the French capital (Charles de Gaulle airport) will be made on Sundays and Thursdays and in the reverse direction on Mondays and Fridays.
