Since last year, Air France has operated two flights between Nice and Los Angeles, coinciding with the Cannes Film Festival and the Monaco Grand Prix. Operated with the A350-900, this is currently the only non-stop connection between the West Coast and the French Riviera. Naturally, I just had to fly it.
Server: Solo
Airline: Air France
Aircraft: Airbus A350-900
Origin: Nice Côte d’Azur Airport, Bouches-du-Rhône, France (NCE)
Destination: Los Angeles International Airport, Los Angeles, California (LAX)
Flight Number: AF40
Route: LFMN-KLAX
Seat: 9C (Business)
Time En Route: 11 Hours 43 Minutes
Boarding our aircraft, registered as F-HYTA and named “Toulouse” after the home of Airbus’s main manufacturing plant, at Nice, the 3rd-busiest airport in France and the gateway to the French Riviera and Monaco
Taxiing across 22R before departure
Taking off from Runway 22L
Turning north with NCE in the background
Leaving the coast of Normandy behind us
Over southern Wyoming some hours later
In our final descent over Santa Monica as the fog begins to come in
Rare reverse-ops arrival at LAX after just under 12 hours’ worth of flying
Taxiing in past the Midfield Concourse
Parked and disembarked in LA
Air France seldom takes the north side anyways.