Air France will reportedly suspend all winter Airbus A350 flights on its route between Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) and Denver International Airport (DEN), according to the aviation analytics company Cirium.
The final A350 flight is scheduled for October 12, 2025, with service set to resume on April 24, 2026. Despite this seasonal change, the route will continue to operate year-round using Air France’s Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, which has a smaller capacity than the Airbus A350-900.
Seasonal Adjustment For Transatlantic Service
Air France is not the only carrier adjusting its transatlantic winter schedule. According to data from Cirium, Turkish Airlines, another major player in the transatlantic market, has also scaled back its US expansion, particularly to Denver.
Air France has not disclosed the reason for its decision to cut Airbus A350 flights to Denver this winter. However, the move suggests that the airline anticipates lower demand than previously expected. Air France-KLM recently reported its first-quarter results, noting a shift in booking patterns. According to the airline’s Chief Financial Officer, Steven Zaat, fewer Europeans are traveling to the US.
While the Airbus A350 typically offers more capacity than the Boeing 787-9, Air France is opting to operate the route with the smaller Dreamliner this winter. This marks a change from last year, when the airline used its A350s on the route throughout the entire winter season. The French flag carrier currently has a total of 37 Airbus A350-900s, which can accommodate a total of 324 passengers in a three-class cabin layout: 34 in business class, 24 in premium economy, and 266 in economy class, as per ch-aviation data. Meanwhile, it has ten Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners, which can seat up to 279 passengers.
Decline In Transatlantic Demand?
European travel to the United States has seen a noticeable shift this summer. According to a Reuters report, transatlantic airfares have dropped, an indication that fewer Europeans are choosing to visit the US.
This trend appears likely to continue into the winter season, as several major airlines, including Air France, Turkish Airlines, and Lufthansa, among others, have made seasonal adjustments, reducing flight frequencies to US destinations. Reports suggest that stricter US border controls and renewed focus on immigration policies, particularly linked to Donald Trump’s political influence, may be contributing to the decline in demand.
Similarly to Air France, Lufthansa flagged a “slight weakening” in its transatlantic bookings, particularly from Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. In response, the German airline is planning to reduce its planned transatlantic capacity growth for Q4 from 6% to 3% and has established a task force to adjust flight schedules if demand continues to soften.
Related
Air France Cuts Service On Flights To Atlanta & Boston
The French flag carrier is planning some changes to its summer 2025 North American flight schedules.
American Airlines is also responding to the changes in air travel demand between Europe and the United States. The airline confirmed to Simple Flying that six transatlantic routes will be suspended for a period of time during the upcoming winter season. These routes include:
- New York (JFK) to Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG), France;
- Dallas Fort/Worth (DFW) to Frankfurt (FRA), Germany;
- Philadelphia (PHL) to Zurich (ZRH), Switzerland;
- New York (JFK) to Milan Malpensa (MXP), Italy;
- Charlotte (CLT) to Munich (MUC), Germany;
- New York (JFK) to Madrid (MAD), Spain.
The route connecting New York John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) will face the longest suspension among the six suspended routes. According to the data, the carrier will suspend this route from January 6, 2025, to March 4, 2025. Initially, the carrier had planned daily operations during this period using its Boeing 787-8 Dreamliners.
