Short Connection in Paris? Air France's New Feature Gives You Priority to Help You Make Your Flight
Air France is implementing a series of digital and operational innovations at its Paris hub to streamline the passenger journey, from check-in to connections.
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Air France is accelerating its digital transformation strategy by deploying a set of five innovations designed to enhance the experience for its up to 140,000 daily passengers. The measures focus on reducing friction at critical points of the journey, especially at its main operational hub, Paris-Charles de Gaulle (CDG) Airport.
The most recent development is the "Short Connection Pass," a solution launched in August 2025 in collaboration with Groupe ADP, the operator of Parisian airports. This system addresses one of a traveler's biggest stress points: tight connections. When the system detects that a passenger's transit time falls below a critical threshold (e.g., 45 minutes), it automatically triggers a priority protocol.
The passenger receives an SMS or email notification informing them of their priority access at security and border controls, with no action required on their part. Upon scanning their boarding pass at these checkpoints, Groupe ADP staff are alerted and expedite their passage. This initiative is the first tangible outcome of the Connect France alliance, a strategic partnership between Air France-KLM and Groupe ADP aimed at bolstering the competitiveness of the Paris hub.
Proactive Communication and Passenger Autonomy
Direct communication with the customer via their mobile device is another pillar of this modernization. Since February 2025, the airline has been testing a guidance service via WhatsApp for connecting passengers at CDG and Amsterdam-Schiphol (AMS). Those who opt-in to notifications receive a link upon landing to a personalized page with their next flight's boarding gate, estimated walking time, and step-by-step directions.
Furthermore, since December 2024, iOS users can view their flight information in real-time directly on their iPhone's lock screen, starting four hours before departure. Key details like the boarding gate and a countdown to takeoff remain visible even without an in-flight connection, a feature used by 70,000 to 90,000 travelers daily.
Key Traveler Information
What is the Short Connection Pass? An automated system that grants priority access at security and border control to passengers with tight connection times at Paris-CDG.
How does Air France use WhatsApp? It sends a personalized guide with gate information and transfer times to connecting passengers who opt-in to notifications.
What is the SAPHIR service? It is Air France's assistance program for passengers with disabilities, which now includes enhancements like allowing passengers to keep their wheelchairs until the aircraft door.
Improvements in Accessibility and Check-in Processes
In line with its commitment to accessibility, and partly as a legacy of the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, Air France has updated its policy for passengers traveling with a manual wheelchair. Since March 2025, they can keep their wheelchair until the boarding gate and retrieve it immediately upon exiting the aircraft, granting them greater independence. The airline plans to extend this offering to electric wheelchairs by the end of 2025. The SAPHIR assistance service managed the travel for over 690,000 customers with disabilities in 2024.
Finally, to streamline the check-in process, customers can now scan their passport or ID card using their mobile phone's camera. The information is automatically uploaded to the booking. Since its implementation in March 2025, over 3 million documents have been processed with this tool, which also allows customers to save the documents to their profile for future trips, saving time and reducing errors.
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