- 30 years of innovation serving customer experience, operational performance and decarbonization;
- Up to 800 daily Air France flights to close to 170 destinations worldwide;
- Over 40 million Air France customers welcomed at Paris-Charles de Gaulle airport in 2025, with 53% connecting through Paris-Charles de Gaulle;
- A major asset for the Air France-KLM Group, creating jobs and offering global connectivity.
To mark the 30th anniversary of its Paris-Charles de Gaulle hub, Air France is celebrating three decades of continuous innovation aimed at strengthening the efficiency and attractiveness of the beating heart of its network.
Opened on 31 March 1996, the Paris-Charles de Gaulle hub is based on a “bank” flight organization system, with synchronized arrivals and departures that reduce transfer times. A revolutionary model for its time, it helped position Paris-Charles de Gaulle not only as a destination, but also as a key crossroads for global connectivity. From the moment it was introduced, the hub model improved operational and economic efficiency, with traffic increasing by 20% within the first six months, without any additional aircraft.
The performance and strength of a world-class hub
Thirty years later, Air France’s hub at Paris-Charles de Gaulle is a strategic infrastructure that actively contributes to the connectivity and sovereignty of France and Europe. It spans three passenger terminals (Terminals 2E, 2F and 2G), an air cargo terminal with a floor area equivalent to 13 football pitches (G1XL), and 300,000 m² of industrial facilities dedicated to aircraft maintenance.
With more than 40 million customers carried across its network in 2025, Air France alone accounts for over 50% of traffic at Paris-Charles de Gaulle airport.
The Hub Control Center (CCH) manages in real time all Air France and partner operations at Paris-Charles de Gaulle and coordinates all operations. Every day, up to 800 flights are operated (with one landing every 30 seconds during peak hours), 100,000 customers are carried and 90,000 bags are handled thanks to the work of 5,300 employees dedicated to the hub, out of the 44,000 employees of Air France, part of the Air France-KLM Group, the leading private-sector employer in the Paris region.
As half of Air France customers at Paris-Charles de Gaulle are connecting passengers, everything is done to ensure flight punctuality, minimize transfer times and simplify their journey. This precision work is carried out in coordination with everyone involved at the airport, including Groupe ADP, the various service providers (ramp, baggage, cleaning, catering) partner airlines and government services, all represented at the CCH.
International connectivity is further enhanced by the Air France-KLM Group’s dual-hub strategy. Air France’s hub at Paris-Charles de Gaulle is connected to KLM’s hub at Amsterdam-Schiphol by 24 daily flights. This interconnection between the two airlines’ networks, complemented by those of Transavia France and Transavia Holland, enables the Air France-KLM Group to offer customers a network of 320 destinations worldwide.
30 years of innovation and digitalization
Over the decades, the Paris-Charles de Gaulle hub has served as a laboratory for innovation, constantly improving operational performance and supporting passengers at every stage of their journey. Self-service kiosks, automated bag drop facilities and automated boarding gates are just some of the technologies introduced to give customers greater autonomy while ensuring they can always receive assistance from Air France staff. These teams are equipped with tablets that provide real-time access to travel information, enabling them to respond quickly to customer requests and offer them additional services.
Air France is also deploying artificial intelligence solutions to shape the travel experience of tomorrow. More than 80 use cases have been identified within the airline, particularly with a view to personalizing the support offered to customers.
The French art of hospitality
The ground experience at Paris-Charles de Gaulle is an integral part of the Air France customer journey. The airline offers a range of exclusive services tailored to individual needs.
Every year, close to 120,000 children travelling alone are looked after by Air France’s Kids Solo service. They enjoy personalized assistance throughout their journey, particularly during connections at Paris-Charles de Gaulle, where a dedicated area is reserved for them during the school holidays.
Eligible customers benefit from the SkyPriority service and can subscribe to a Concierge service, which provides personalized assistance from the moment they arrive at the airport. Air France also provides its international passengers with six multicultural teams who welcome travellers from around the world in Mandarin, Japanese, Korean, Tamil, Hindi, Spanish, Portuguese and Modern Standard Arabic. Available since 1974, this support service is a distinctive Air France feature, reflecting the airline’s commitment to providing international customers with assistance in their own language and adapted to their culture.
The ground experience continues in the airline’s six lounges at the airport, true havens of peace embodying the French art of living. Eligible customers can relax, enjoy meals created by Michelin-starred chefs and enjoy treatments before departure or during a connection. La Première customers enjoy a dedicated, seamless and exclusive journey through the airport that was completely redesigned in 2024, featuring a lobby and an award-winning lounge offering, among other things, genuine lounge suites spanning 45 square meters and including a living room, bedroom, bathroom and outdoor patio.
Inclusion at the heart of the customer journey
Air France is committed to inclusivity with Saphir, its free assistance program dedicated to customers with disabilities, which celebrates its 25th anniversary in 2026. This service enables customers to benefit from assistance before, during and after their flight, including booking support and consideration of specific needs.
In 2025, over 760,000 passengers with disabilities travelled on board Air France.
Decarbonization and intermodality: the foundations of tomorrow’s hub
Decarbonizing the airline’s operations, both on the ground and on board, is a strategic priority for Air France. In addition to fleet renewal and the incorporation of sustainable aviation fuels, the airline’s main levers for reducing carbon emissions are the electrification of ground operations and the development of intermodality.
Paris-Charles de Gaulle has a TGV station, and for more than 30 years Air France and SNCF Voyageurs have developed “Train + Air”, a service enabling customers to combine a train journey and a flight within a single booking, with a guaranteed rebooking in the event of disruption. More than 160,000 customers use this service each year to reach Paris-Charles de Gaulle from 24 train stations in France. Since late 2025, this offer, previously limited to TGV InOui services, has gradually been expanded to include Ouigo trains. By the end of 2026, the total number of stations will thus be increased to 27, also including the high-speed connection between Brussels-Midi station and Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport.
In 2027, the connection to central Paris will be improved with the arrival of the CDG Express, which will link the airport to Gare de l’Est in 20 minutes. At the same time, the various terminals at Paris-Charles de Gaulle will be renamed to make it easier for travellers to find their way around. The face of Air France’s hub at Paris-Charles de Gaulle will therefore continue to evolve, ensuring greater efficiency and attractiveness.