Air France to operate special flight for Pope Leo XIV's first visit to France

Air France announced Monday it will operate a special Airbus A321 flight for Pope Leo XIV's first visit to France.

The papal visit is the first to France in 18 years and marks Leo XIV's inaugural trip to the country since taking office. During the visit, the pope is scheduled to meet French President Emmanuel Macron, become the first pope in history to visit UNESCO's Paris headquarters, and meet with the French church and its faithful — engagements that carry both religious significance and a broader message of international cooperation and dialogue.

Pope Leo XIV will use the specially arranged Air France A321 from Saturday through Monday to carry out his key engagements in France. Cardinals and the official press corps will travel alongside the pope. Air France is deploying a dedicated aircraft bearing the Vatican coat of arms on both the exterior and interior for the occasion.

Air France has a long history of supporting official papal travel, both within France and abroad. In 1989, the airline operated Concorde F-BTSC to carry Pope John Paul II from Saint-Denis on Réunion Island to Lusaka, the capital of Zambia, during his African tour — the first time a pope had flown on Concorde.

In 1996, the airline operated the return flight to Rome following John Paul II's visit to France. In 2008, during Pope Benedict XVI's visit to France, it deployed special A321 flights on the Paris–Lourdes and Lourdes–Rome routes.

"For Pope Leo XIV's first visit to France, we will once again provide safe and seamless transport for the pope and his official delegation through a special flight, continuing our tradition of being part of the historic journeys of popes throughout the years," an Air France spokesperson said.

Meanwhile, Air France recently claimed six awards at the Skytrax World Airline Awards held in London, demonstrating its competitiveness in aviation service. The airline took top honors in three first-class categories: best first class in the world, best first-class amenities in the world, and best first class in Europe.

Known as the "Oscars of the aviation industry," the Skytrax World Airline Awards is a global aviation ceremony that Skytrax, a British aviation service rating agency, has held since 1999.