Air France takes first flight from RDU to France Monday evening

Air France is partnering with Delta Airlines to bring their first flight to Raleigh-Durham International Airport on Monday.

The flight from Paris landed at the airport around 7:30 p.m. Monday evening.

The new flight will operate three times a week until March 31. After that, it will fly out everyday.

For some travelers Monday night, it meant a chance to see loved ones.

"I have all of my family there on the Italian side of the family there," Gabriele Falsetti said. "It is feeling more connected to back home, I feel great."

For others, it means another destination for some rest and relaxation.

"Vacation. My husband and I need a break, we needed time off to chill," said one passenger of the outbound flight.

As for what the flights mean for RDU, It shows growth. in 2019, RDU set a record with just over 14 million passengers coming through. 2023 is on pace to break that record, with just over 15 million passengers.

RDU is also expected to get another direct flight to Europe next year. The destination: Frankfurt, Germany.

"We've added two international carriers, 2022 additional dots on the map and 50 additional flights since February 2023," said Michael Landguth, RDU's President and CEO. "That is a record on additional capacity coming into the system."

This direct flight to France is convenient for anyone who’s looking to go to the Summer Olympics.

Flights are just over $1,600 dollars during that time of year, but some prices were seen at over $2,000.