On Thursday, Air France became the official airline of the Paris 2024 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games after it signed a partnership agreement with the local organising committee.
Benjamin Smith, the CEO of the Air France-KLM Group, said the airline had been closely linked with the 2024 Games ever since Paris embarked on its bid to host the Olympics back in 2016.
“After the thrill of Paris being awarded the Games, we can’t wait to contribute to making this global event a success,” Smith said after the partnership was officially rubberstamped on Thursday.
“We will help the very best of France soar worldwide like never before, on the wings of excellence, respect and inclusion,” Smith continued.
Despite the fact that the partnership agreement was only officially signed on Thursday, the airline said that its preparations as the official airline of the 2024 Games started months ago.
Some of those preparations include working out how the airline is going to transport all of the specialist sports equipment like javelins, vaulting poles, kayaks, bicycles, wheelchairs, and even surfboards.
As well as preparing its Paris Charles De Gaulle hub for the Games, Air France will also have check-in desks located at the Athletes Village which will allow athletes to check-in and drop off their luggage for their return flight home on site in the Olympic Village.
It’s little surprise that Air France is the official airline of the 2024 Olympic Games, given its flag carrier status and the fact that the airline has long been connected with the Paris 2024 bid.
In fact, Air France has been the official carrier of France’s sporting and international delegations for the Olympics since 1952, and the carrier even transported the Olympic Flame onboard Concorde ahead of the 1992 Olympic Games – a stunt that, sadly, is no longer possible.
