Fortaleza, a new Air France-KLM destination in Brazil
25-Sep-2017 Air France-KLM is pursuing its development strategy in Brazil and will simultaneously link Fortaleza to its two main hubs at Amsterdam-Schiphol and Paris-Charles de Gaulle as from May 2018. These new routes will be operated respectively by KLM with 3 weekly flights and Joon with 2 weekly flights.
Fortaleza, a new hub for Air France-KLM and GOL
Air France-KLM and its partner GOL Linhas Aéreas Inteligentes will launch a third hub in Brazil with the new flights to Fortaleza operated by KLM and Joon, a destination also served by GOL to and from cities in the North and North East of Brazil such as Belém, Manaus, Natal, Recife and Salvador. This will also enable customers of both airlines to benefit from easier connections, seamless service and a wider choice of medium and long-haul destinations. With this new network, customers will also benefit from single check-in throughout their trip and a guaranteed baggage tracking service.
"By launching flights to Fortaleza, operated by two of the group's airlines, we are once again confirming our position as a leader on the local market. This new transatlantic offer, a meeting point between South America and Europe, makes Fortaleza a strategic hub that will make our customers' trips easier and greatly increase their connecting opportunities in the region", said Jean-Marc Janaillac, Chairman and CEO of Air France-KLM." This project has been made possible thanks to the strength of our partnership with GOL. Its network will provide our customers with a wider choice of destinations to and from North and North-East Brazil", he added.
Pieter Elbers, President and CEO of KLM added: "Brazil is an important focus market for KLM. The addition of Fortaleza to our network, KLM's third Brazilian destination, opens up new air routes between major cities in the north and northeast of Brazil. KLM's partnership with the Brazilian airline GOL creates a new strategic hub, which firmly links Amsterdam and South America. Fortaleza fits perfectly into our network strategy and is a welcome addition to the South American destinations we are able to offer our customers."
"We are going to improve our network in Fortaleza to provide fast and efficient connections with Air France and KLM flights. We will adjust the schedules and increase the offer to Recife, Salvador, Belém and Manaus, as well as a new route to Natal and we will offer clients traveling from the north and northeast to Europe, or for those who come to visit Brazil, an experience with several benefits at every stage of the trip", explained Paulo Kakinoff, President of GOL. "This is another important step we take in our strategic partnership, which has been in place for three years", he added.
Fortaleza, new destination
KLM will offer 2 weekly flights between Amsterdam-Schiphol and Fortaleza operated by Airbus A330 with a capacity of 18 seats in Business Class, 35 seats in Economy Comfort and 215 seats in Economy. Starting 2 July 2018, KLM will add an additional frequency.
KL0707: leaves Amsterdam-Schiphol at 12:50, arrives in Fortaleza at 17:20;
KL0708: leaves Fortaleza at 19:50, arrives at Amsterdam-Schiphol at 10:00 the following day.
Flight schedules in local time
Joon, the Air France group's new airline, will link Paris-Charles de Gaulle to Fortaleza with 2 weekly flights operated by Airbus A340 with a capacity of 30 seats in the Business cabin, 21 seats in Premium Economy and 227 seats in Economy.
AF416: leaves Paris-Charles de Gaulle at 13:10, arrives in Fortaleza at 17:35;
AF415: leaves Fortaleza at 19:35, arrives at Paris-Charles de Gaulle at 9:30 the following day.
Flight schedules in local time
Capital of the state of Ceará, in the Northeast of the country, Fortaleza is the fifth largest city in Brazil. Located on the Atlantic coast, the city is only a few hours from Europe by plane. A great spot for kitesurfing enthusiasts, the beaches of Fortaleza continue to attract a great many visitors every year. Also known for its textile industry, the capital of Ceará is also the gateway to the main cities in North and North-East Brazil.
During the 2018 summer season, the group, leader in South America, will offer 391 082 seats to Brazil thanks to 40 weekly services to 3 destinations operated by Air France, KLM and Joon:
3 weekly flights operated by KLM on Monday, Thursday and Saturday,
2 weekly flights operated by Joon on Friday and Sunday.
- Sao Paulo
14 weekly flights operated by Air France on a daily basis,
7 weekly flights operated by KLM on a daily basis.
- Rio de Janeiro
7 weekly flights operated by Air France on a daily basis,
7 weekly flights operated by KLM on a daily basis.
In addition, our Brazilian partner GOL will provide the group's customers with connections to 5 destinations in Brazil from the Fortaleza hub: Belém, Manaus, Natal, Recife and Salvador. It is the intention that this number of Brazilian destinations connected via the Fortaleza hub will increase in the future.
Air France-KLM and GOL, a strategic partnership
Air France-KLM and GOL Linhas Aéreas Inteligentes customers benefit from an optimized network, with 104 European destinations and 50 destinations in Brazil.
The two airlines, partners for over three years, offer many advantages: a single and simplified booking, the possibility of travelling with two pieces of baggage and guaranteed baggage tracking with or without a connection. In addition, Air France-KLM customers travelling in La Première, Business and Premium Economy enjoy priority boarding on flights operated by GOL.