Memorable dates in the history of
Air France in Canada
| 1 August 1950 2 October 1950 |
Signing of the French-Canadian airtraffic agreement to begin operation between both countries. Opening of the Paris-Montreal route which takes place 415 years to the day after Jacques Cartier's first visit to Hochelaga (wich became/aka/futur Montreal). Weekly connection between Paris-Montreal-New York in a Lockheed Constellation 749 aircraft with two refuelling stops in Shannon and Gander. The flight from Paris-Orly transports 34 passengers. |
 Montreal Airport- date unknown |
| 6 October 1950 January 1951 November 1955 |
The Constellation of Air France lands in Paris-Orly having made its first round-trip travel on this new route. It will take 12hr 45 min for the aircraft to reach Montreal. Frequency increase for the Paris-Montreal route. This great/major/big connection operates every Monday from Paris and every Thursday from Montreal. A record has just been set on the Paris-Montreal flight operated by the Great Constellation of Air France. The flight time was of 12hr 06 min while the average flight time was of 15hr 30 min. The aircraft flew without making any stop-overs between Paris and Montreal. |
 French exposition in Montreal 1963 |
November 1957 22 March 1958 |
Air France opens a new City Ticket Office located on the corner of St-Catherine and Peel street, in the heart of Montreal/Downtown Montreal. Inauguration of the Chicago-Montreal-Paris route opreated by the Great Starliner. This new aircraft can transport up to 88 passengers. |
 Montreal Airport - 1963 |
| 4 April 1960 11 June 1970 |
Air France operates a four-engined Boeing 707 jet on the Paris-Montreal Los Angeles route: the flight time is of 6h 35min and the plane layout varies from 110 to 184 seats in the new/next version of this aircraft. The new schedule is now 3 times of week. Launch of the first Boeing 747 aircraft on the Paris-Montreal route with a cabin configuration of 360 seats. |
 Boeing 707 - 1966 Photo credit: Jean-Pierre Bonin |
| 9 September 1975 1976 April 1980 1984 |
Inauguration of the new Canadian International Airport - Montréal-Mirabel. The Concorde makes a spectacular demonstration to celebrate this occasion. Air France launches a new direct flight: Paris-Toronto operated by a Boeing 747 equipped with 389 seats and serviced 3 times a week with a continuation to Los Angeles. Launch of the classe Affaires (Busines Class) on the Paris-Montreal-Toronto flights. Air France has now 4 weekly flights to and from Montreal for the Winter season and upto 7 flights a week during the peak season. The flights are opearated by a Boeing 747. |
 Visit of the Concorde at Montreal-Mirabel in 1984 |
18 February 1991 October 1997 |
A commercial cooperation agreement with Canadian International Airlines is announced. It includes the move of Air France in the new terminal 3 of Toronto Pearson Airport opening on February 21st, 1991. |
 Boeing 737 Canadian Airlines Photographer : Thorfinn Stainforth -1995 |
| 6 January 2002 23 June 2006 |
The new Airbus A330 is launched and scheduled as a daily flight between Paris and Toronto. Inauguration of a new Air France Lounge in the new terminal in Montreal: 407m2 and seats 150 wich offers more comfort and more space. |
 Inauguration of the Air France lounge in Montréal - 2006 |
| 12 November 2007 | In partnership with Air France, the Airbus A380 lands for the first time at the Montreal-Trudeau airport inbound from Paris-Charles de Gaulle. The wide-body aircraft pursues its demonstration flights around the world. This flight is the prefect opportunity to verify the compatibility of the infrastructures of the Montreal airport for this new aircraft. |
 Landing of the A380 at Montreal-Trudeau - 2007 Photo credit : ADM |
| 4 February 2009 | Air France, KLM and WestJet sign a commercial partneship scheduled to be launched at the end of 2009 - beginning of 2010. This agreement strengthens the position of the Air France-KLM Group on the routes to/from Canada with a wide choice of cities serviced by WestJet in Canada. |
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