Air France puts Minneapolis/St. Paul on its route map

Air France-KLM announced yesterday (Oct. 25) that Air France will make Minneapolis/St. Paul International its 11th destination in the United States.

Air France will begin its nonstop seasonal service on the route beginning May 21, flying five times a week on 275-seat Airbus A340 jets. The service will increase to daily service on June 1 and will run through Sept. 1.

Air France's first-ever route from Minneapolis/St. Paul gives the airport two nonstop flights to Paris during the summer schedule. Air France-KLM partner Delta also flies the route, offering year-round daily service between the cities.

Air France-KLM and Delta are part of a joint-venture with Alitalia that gives the airlines antitrust immunity to coordinate trans-Atlantic service.

On that topic, the Minneapolis Star Tribune writes the new Air France route "provides a revenue-sharing opportunity for the ... airlines in the joint venture."

"When you add a flight the revenue is divided between the partners," Delta spokesman Anthony Black says to the Star Tribune. "We're not competing, we're complimenting one another. Ultimately the market determines if it is strong enough to support the additional service."

Air France made its Minneapolis/St. Paul announcement along with news about a second new route: thrice-weekly flights between Paris and Kuala Lumpur, which begin April 22.

"With these two new routes, Air France is offering its customers greater choice and additional flight opportunities alongside existing services operated by KLM and Delta," Air France CEO Alexandre de Juniac, says in a statement. "With a more extensive network, we have a clear ambition of creating the best flight offering linking the economic centers of North America and South East Asia."

Air France, of course, is part of the Air France-KLM company that resulted from the 2004 merger of Air France and KLM. Despite the merger, each unit continues to fly under its own airline brand.