en.Wedoany.com Reported - The French national football team arrived at Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) on Wednesday, June 10, aboard an all-business-class charter operated by La Compagnie, preparing for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The 76-seat Airbus A321neo flew directly from Paris-Le Bourget Airport (LBG), operated by French carrier La Compagnie.
The flight departed from Paris-Le Bourget Airport, Europe's busiest business aviation airport, with a flight time of approximately 8 hours. Onboard, players and coaching staff enjoyed lie-flat seats arranged in a 2-2 layout across 19 rows.
The flight took off under call sign B0532 shortly after 2:00 PM local time on Wednesday, with a total flight time of 7 hours and 52 minutes, landing in Boston at 3:59 PM. Players posed for photos both onboard and outside the aircraft. This aircraft is typically used by La Compagnie for all-business-class scheduled flights to Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR).
Onboard were 26 French players, along with coaching, medical, and support staff accompanying the team for the World Cup. Upon arrival, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu and a group of fans greeted the team, who then headed to the Four Seasons Hotel to prepare for the tournament. La Compagnie stated on social media that it was honored to welcome the French national football team onboard as the official airline partner, seeing "Les Bleus" embark on their U.S. journey in its livery.
The La Compagnie A321neo cabin experience differs from standard narrowbody aircraft. The entire cabin features Collins Aerospace Diamond lie-flat seats across 19 rows in a 2-2 layout. Each seat is equipped with a large 15.6-inch inflight entertainment screen. The airline offers premium ground and onboard services, including meals developed by Michelin-starred chefs paired with a fine wine list, though it remains unclear whether the French football team was permitted to drink alcohol before the match. This bespoke luxury carrier operates only two A321neos in its fleet; the aircraft that flew to Boston yesterday was F-HNCO, a 6-year-old plane delivered in September 2019.
Narrowbody aircraft, typically used for domestic and regional markets, are increasingly popular on longer transatlantic routes. Airbus has introduced longer-range single-aisle models, including the A321LR and A321XLR, while the 737 MAX series can operate longer flights than its predecessors.
Over the past few days, several World Cup flights have landed in the United States, Mexico, and Canada as national football associations charter planes to transport their teams. This has brought aircraft to some airports that are not typically seen on their runways, such as Iberia's Airbus A350 landing in Nashville (BNA) with the Spanish national team. One of the longest World Cup charter flights this year was the 11-hour journey of the Argentine team from Buenos Aires (EZE) to Kansas City (MCI), operated by Aerolíneas Argentinas' Airbus A330-200. Many airlines have also temporarily added capacity on major routes to meet surging demand.
As for La Compagnie, the airline is expanding capacity this summer by leasing Icelandair's Boeing 757-200, enabling a larger U.S. flight schedule. The carrier plans to fly from Paris Orly (ORY) and Milan Malpensa (MXP) to Newark, including operating the 757 during periods of peak demand for the World Cup.
This article is compiled by Wedoany. All AI citations must indicate the source as "Wedoany". If there is any infringement or other issues, please notify us promptly, and we will modify or delete it accordingly. Email: news@wedoany.com
