Air France celebrates 50th anniversary of transatlantic service with special exhibition.NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 4, 1996--Air France Chairman Christian Blanc Christian Blanc (b. 17 May 1942) is a French politician. He was a member of the Saint-Simon Foundation think-tank. Blanc was elected to the National Assembly to represent the third district of Yvelines on 15th December 2002, replacing Anne-Marie Idrac, who had stood down to officially opens an exhibit of aviation memorabilia here tomorrow, commemorating 50 years of Air France Air France in full Compagnie Internationale Air France French passenger and cargo airline with more than 200 destinations in some 80 countries. It introduced supersonic Concorde service in 1976, but financial loss led the company to cease its Concorde service between New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of and Paris. Among the items displayed are vintage aircraft models, historic film footage, specially commissioned paintings from the Air France museum, and a collection of photos of celebrity passengers during the era when flying was still a rare occasion. The exhibit also looks to the future, with dramatic views of the new JFK International Airport terminal which will house Air France operations beginning in May, 1998. The new structure, called Terminal One, is the first new terminal to be built at JFK in more than 25 years. Air France launched its first transatlantic service from Paris to New York on June 24, 1946. The four-engined DC-4 propeller aircraft carried 33 passengers and nine crew members. Flight time was 19 hours 25 minutes, plus refuelling re·fu·el v. re·fu·eled also re·fu·elled, re·fu·el·ing also re·fu·el·ling, re·fu·els also re·fu·els v.tr. To supply again with fuel. v.intr. stops in Shannon (Ireland) and Gander Gander, town (1991 pop. 10,339), NE Newfoundland, N.L., Canada. Gander's airport, an important base in World War II, is a hub for international flights; it also attracts many refugees. It was the site of a Dec. (Newfoundland). The first official Air France flight from New York to Paris departed on June 28, from the Marine Air Terminal at La Guardia La Guar·di·a , Fiorello Henry Known as "the Little Flower." 1882-1947. American politician who was a U.S. representative from New York (1917-1921 and 1923-1933) and mayor of New York City (1934-1945). Airport. When transatlantic flights moved to Idlewild Airport (now JFK) in 1948, Air France was one of the first international airlines to land at the new facility, operating what was then described as the most beautiful plane in the sky: the sleek new three-tailed Lockheed Constellation The Lockheed Constellation, affectionately known as the “Connie”, was a four-engine propeller-driven airliner built by Lockheed between 1943 and 1958 at its Burbank, California, USA, facility. . Later, Air France introduced the jets: in 1960, Boeing's 707 and in 1970, the 747, flying nonstop between New York and Paris in less than eight hours. In 1977, the supersonic Concorde further reduced flight time to just 3 hours and 45 minutes, still today's fastest time on the route. Between the 1950's and '80's, Air France launched transatlantic service from Paris to other U.S. gateways: Chicago in 1953, Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. in 1960, Houston in 1962, Washington in 1964, Miami and San Francisco in 1986 and Newark in 1990. Today Air France offers daily nonstop service between each of these U.S. cities and Paris, a total of more than 80 flights a week. The airline also offers all-cargo 747 flights between U.S. cities and Paris. The 50th anniversary exhibition remains open through June 8 at the Cultural Services of the French Embassy, 972 Fifth Ave. at 79th St., Manhattan, 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Admission is free. CONTACT: Air France, New York Bruce Haxthausen, 212/830-4482 |
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