Air France celebrates 50th anniversary of transatlantic service with special exhibition.

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 4, 1996--Air France Chairman Christian Blanc officially opens an exhibit of aviation memorabilia here tomorrow, commemorating 50 years of Air France service between New York 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 stops in Shannon (Ireland) and Gander (Newfoundland). The first official Air France flight from New York to Paris departed on June 28, from the Marine Air Terminal at La Guardia 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. 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 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