Air France Makes Historic Return to London Gatwick After 30 Years: Direct Paris Flights Now Available for UK Travellers

Start your journey from Gatwick with smooth flights to Paris and global connections.

Some comebacks are worth waiting for. After nearly 30 years away, Air France has returned to London Gatwick, and for millions of travellers living south of the Thames, it is the kind of news that quietly changes how you think about getting abroad.
​​​​​​​The French national carrier last flew from Gatwick back in 1996. Since then, anyone in Surrey, Sussex, Kent, or the wider South East wanting to fly Air France had only one option — the long, often exhausting journey across London to Heathrow. That inconvenience is now over. From 29 March 2026, Air France is operating a twice-daily service between Gatwick and Paris Charles de Gaulle, and the early signs suggest demand has been strong from the very start.

Here is where it gets genuinely interesting. On the surface, this looks like a straightforward London-to-Paris route. Look a little closer, and it is actually something far more useful.

Paris Charles de Gaulle is one of Europe's most powerful connecting hubs, and Air France's global network reaches an impressive spread of destinations across North America, Africa, Asia, and South America. For a traveller based in the South East, that means Gatwick can now serve as a realistic starting point for a long-haul journey — without the stress of crossing London first. One short, comfortable hop to Paris, and the world opens up from there.

All flights are operated on the Airbus A220, a modern narrow-body aircraft with a strong reputation for passenger comfort. It is quieter than most jets in its class, more spacious than you might expect, and meaningfully more fuel-efficient — something worth considering for travellers who think carefully about their environmental footprint.

If you live anywhere south of London, the case for using Gatwick just became considerably stronger. Fast rail links into central London already make it one of the more accessible airports in the country. Add a twice-daily Air France service into one of the world's great aviation hubs, and the possibilities are wider than they have been in a generation.

Whether you are planning a weekend in Paris, a connecting flight to somewhere further afield, or simply want the comfort of flying with a full-service carrier from your local airport rather than battling across the capital, this new route deserves a place on your radar.​​​​​​​

At Crystal Travel, we believe good travel starts with good options. And right now, the options just got a great deal better.​​​​​​​