Air France operated special flights for Pope Leo XIV, the Vatican delegation and accredited journalists from September 26 to 28 during the Holy Father’s official visit to France. For the mission, the French national carrier assigned an Airbus A321 that was temporarily named “Vatican City” and carried special markings featuring the coat of arms of Pope Leo XIV.

Air France operated three special sectors during the visit – from Paris Orly to Tarbes-Lourdes-Pyrénées, from Lourdes to Metz-Nancy-Lorraine and, at the end of the visit on September 28, from Metz to Rome Fiumicino. All flights were operated under State flight procedures, with special arrangements and priority handling at each airport.

More than 100 Air France employees were involved in preparing and operating the mission, including staff from flight operations, cabin services, maintenance, ground handling, security, protocol, catering and operational coordination. The aircraft was divided into two cabin sections and, in addition to the Pope and his immediate entourage, carried a Vatican delegation of more than 70 people, including cardinals, bishops, Holy See staff, security personnel and members of the Swiss Guard. More than 80 accredited journalists from around the world were also on board.

Air France’s role in the visit continued a long-established tradition under which the Pope normally departs Rome for international apostolic journeys aboard an aircraft operated by Italy’s national carrier, while the return flight is usually operated by the national airline of the host country.

For decades, the outbound leg of papal journeys was closely associated with Alitalia. Following Alitalia’s closure in 2021, that role was taken over by ITA Airways. Pope Leo XIV has also referred to the historic link between papal journeys and the Italian national airline, first through Alitalia and now through ITA Airways.

For the visit to France, ITA Airways carried the Pope from Rome to France, while Air France took over the domestic sectors and the final return flight to Rome. A large group of journalists also travelled with the Pope, another long-standing feature of modern papal journeys. Representatives of international media traditionally accompany the Holy Father aboard the same aircraft, while return flights often include an in-flight press conference.

The connection between popes and civil aviation dates back to January 4, 1964, when Paul VI became the first pope to use an aircraft for an apostolic journey. He departed Rome for Amman, on his way to the Holy Land, aboard an Alitalia Douglas DC-8. The flight marked the beginning of a new era of papal travel, which became particularly prominent during the pontificate of John Paul II. During his papacy, John Paul II completed 104 international apostolic journeys.

Air France also has a long history of transporting popes. One of the more unusual examples came on May 2, 1989, when John Paul II travelled aboard an Air France Concorde between Réunion and Lusaka during an African tour. The French carrier also transported him from Reims to Rome aboard an Airbus A310 in 1996. In 2008, during Pope Benedict XVI’s visit to France, Air France used an Airbus A321 for the Paris Orly–Lourdes and Lourdes–Rome sectors.

For Pope Leo XIV’s 2026 visit, Air France further adapted the A321 with Vatican-related markings. In addition to the “Vatican City” title on the fuselage, the aircraft carried the coat of arms of the Vatican City State near the forward left door used by the Pope. Before departure from Orly, Air France Chairman and Air France-KLM Chief Executive Officer Benjamin Smith presented Pope Leo XIV with a collector’s poster, reflecting the airline’s long-standing connection with pilgrimages and papal journeys.

Despite frequent references in the media to a “papal plane”, the Vatican does not actually operate its own passenger aircraft for international travel. Instead, specially arranged flights operated by commercial airlines are used and adapted to the security, protocol and operational requirements of a State visit.

Papal journeys therefore represent a distinctive combination of scheduled civil aviation, State protocol and one of the longest-running traditions of special flights in modern commercial aviation.