Air France and Groupe ADP, the operator of Paris airports, have introduced a new service called “Short Connection Pass” to help passengers with tight connections at Paris-Charles de Gaulle airport (CDG).
Every day, Air France transports up to 140,000 passengers, nearly half of whom connect through its hub at Paris-Charles de Gaulle airport.
To ease their transit through the airport, Groupe ADP has implemented a dedicated route, now featuring a completely redesigned multilingual signage system.
How it works:
- Automatic Activation: If a passenger’s connection time is below a specific limit, the system automatically triggers. This threshold can vary depending on their flights (for example, a 45-minute connection from Toulouse to New York JFK).
- Notifications: When the first flight lands at CDG, the passenger gets a text message and email. These tell them that they have a short connection and are eligible for priority access at security and border control. In the future, passengers will also get notifications through the Air France app and WhatsApp.
- Priority Access: When the passenger gets to security and border control, their boarding pass is scanned. This scan notifies staff that they have a short connection, and they will be offered priority access to help them get through faster.
- Real-time Data: The system works by sharing data in real-time between Air France, Groupe ADP, and its service provider, including:
- Estimated walking time through the airport.
- Time needed to complete security screening and border formalities, as well as wait times at those checkpoints.
- The updated departure time of the next flight.
Connect France
CDG is the primary gateway for France and the busiest airport for Air France.
The new connection system is the first from Connect France, a partnership between Air France and Groupe ADP, that plans to improve the passenger experience at CDG.
Regis Lacote, Executive Vice-President of Operations & Innovation – Director of Paris-Charles de Gaulle airport:
“One month after signing Connect France, this initiative perfectly illustrates our shared ambition with the Air France-KLM Group: to streamline passenger flows and make Paris-Charles de Gaulle an even more efficient and attractive hub.
“The Short Connection Pass is simple for passengers and operationally effective—a real step forward in improving the travel experience.”
Alain-Hervé Bernard, Executive Vice President of Operations and Cargo at Air France:
“Supporting our customers and making their journey easier is a top priority.
“Thanks to this joint initiative with Groupe ADP, we are further strengthening (CDG’s) appeal and reaffirming our ambition to position Paris-Charles de Gaulle among the world’s leading hubs.”
Connect France initiatives include:
- Implementation of a “short connection pass”, a dedicated access to streamline the journey of passengers with short connections.
- Increase direct boarding via jet bridges to minimise bus transfers, especially for long-haul international passengers and those with connecting flights. Target 2026.
- Renaming the hub terminals to enhance readability for passengers and facilitate navigating through the terminal, especially during connections.
- Transform Terminal 2E, Hall K into France’s flagship terminal, showcasing the best of French know-how by end 2025.
- Structure a joint support initiative for the development of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production by end 2025.
