Air France is reshaping its American network for 2027, with two new transatlantic routes and one notable exit.
The French flag carrier will touch down at San Diego International Airport on May 3, 2027, followed by Nashville International on May 14. Both routes run from Paris-Charles de Gaulle three times a week — Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays — and will be operated by an Airbus A350-900, a modern widebody fitted with business, premium economy, extra-legroom economy and standard economy cabins. For travellers in Tennessee and Southern California, that means a one-stop-free ride to Paris and, through Air France's huge CDG hub, easy connections across Europe, Africa and the Middle East.
The Nashville launch carries a charming detail: the route will fly as AF46, a nod to 1946, the year Dolly Parton was born. Air France framed the new Tennessee service as a tribute to the singer — a sweet bit of marketing that gives the route a story beyond the timetable.
There's a subtraction, though. Air France will not return to Denver in 2027; its seasonal Denver service, which started in 2021, ends on October 10. The airline says those seats will simply be reallocated elsewhere, so overall capacity across the US stays flat. Denver travellers won't be left stranded, either — United Airlines, which has a major hub there, launches daily Denver–Paris flights on May 27, 2027, using a Boeing 787-9.
The moves fit a bigger picture. Air France works hand in glove with Delta, KLM and Virgin Atlantic in a transatlantic joint venture that lets the four airlines coordinate schedules and fares. Delta itself is adding at least three European routes in 2027: Austin to Paris from March 27, Boston to Venice from May 7, and Detroit to Athens from June 8. In other words, the France-KLM-Delta group is pushing deeper into mid-sized American cities, betting that travellers outside the big coastal gateways want direct Europe flights.
Why it matters: if you live in Nashville or San Diego, 2027 brings a genuinely convenient way to reach Paris without connecting through a US hub — and award travellers should watch for SkyTeam miles availability on these new routes, which are often loaded early. If you're in Denver and liked the Air France summer service, United's new daily 787 flight gives you a year-round alternative, likely with strong elite-status and upgrade perks given United's hub presence. For everyone else, the A350-900 is a comfortable aircraft to time your booking around — quieter cabins, better air quality and modern entertainment screens throughout.
The takeaway for planners: routes announced this far out are usually priced aggressively at launch, so early birds in Nashville and San Diego could score solid fares for May 2027 departures — or burn miles before the routes mature and award space tightens up.
