RIYADH, 28 November 2004 — Air France has introduced three weekly non-stop flights between Paris and Riyadh from Dec. 1, as part of its new “Dedicate” program.
The airline took the step following a French Embassy report that the number of passengers traveling on Saudi-French sector is growing. More than 45,000 visas are issued every year to Saudis, the majority of whom visit France for business and tourism purposes. Moreover, many French universities and schools have attracted Saudi students.
With more than 4,000 French professionals and executives working in Saudi Arabia, the Dedicate program, a tailor-made service aimed at corporate customers, should provide a boost to the company.
The new service signals the revival of business and tourism traffic between the Kingdom and France after a slowdown following the Sept. 11 terror attacks.
The non-stop service will cut down flight time by two hours, 10 minutes, said Hisham Seifeddine, marketing manager of Air France. The flights will leave Riyadh on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays at 1.20 a.m. and will arrive the same day at 6.15 a.m. in Paris and will depart from Charles de Gaulle on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays at 10.50 a.m. and will arrive Riyadh at 6.50 p.m.
