Indianapolis International Airport to offer nonstop flight to Paris

A Delta Connection jet sits at the Indianapolis International Airport terminal on Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2013. Charlie Nye / The Star.

Delta Air Lines will start offering the Indianapolis International Airport's first direct transatlantic flights to Paris this spring, Gov. Eric Holcomb announced today. 

Holcomb called the new nonstop flight "a big win for the entire state."

The new service will begin May 24 with year-round service scheduled at least three times a week. It will be the city's first direct flight beyond North America.

"Indiana’s pro-business reputation continues to grow and spread around the globe, and that’s why securing a direct transatlantic flight is so important,” Holcomb said. 

Taxpayers will help subsidize the flight. Holcomb is offering Delta up to $5.5 million in conditional incentives over two years. The incentives will be awarded based on the number of passengers served by the route, according to the Indiana Economic Development Corp.

The airport previously offered only direct international flights to Toronto and Cancun, Mexico. In July, Southwest Airlines was the latest airline to add direct flights to Cancun. 

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Attracting international flights was a top Holcomb priority this past legislative session. Lawmakers gave Holcomb $15 million each year to put toward his economic development plans, which included offering incentives for direct flights. 

The new service comes after Holcomb traveled to Paris in June for his first international jobs trip to meet with global executives at the International Paris Air Show and the 24 Hours of Le Mans auto race. Indiana is home to more than 45 France-owned businesses, which created more than 2,800 Indiana jobs between 2003 and 2017.

Indiana companies with overseas business ties have long sought more intercontinental travel options. They cheered Wednesday's announcement. 

"We’re a global company," said Michael O'Connor, a senior director of state government affairs for Indianapolis-based pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly and Co. "Any time there is expansion of international connections to Indianapolis, it’s positive for us. We appreciate the mayor's and the governor's effort on this."

Indiana Chamber of Commerce President Kevin Brinegar said the new flight "represents a big step forward in connectivity with Europe and will make traveling to subsidiaries, parent companies and clients more convenient and efficient." 

“It also reinforces the image that Indiana is a global player for business," he said.

Tickets for the Indianapolis-Paris service will go on sale beginning Sept. 23. The flight is scheduled to depart Indianapolis at 6:20 p.m. and arrive in Paris at 8:45 a.m. the next day. It is scheduled to depart Paris at 1:15 p.m. and arrive in Indianapolis at 4:35 p.m.

The route's frequency is expected to increase in the spring, summer and fall months, reaching daily service during the peak summer season.

Joining Holcomb for the announcement at the airport were Delta executives, airport officials, Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett and Indiana House Speaker Brian Bosma, R-Indianapolis.

Bosma said the global travel connections are critical for Hoosier businesses looking to attract global talent and for international businesses looking for places to grow their operations.

"This new, year-round flight to Paris, the gateway to Europe, is a major boost to our state’s overall competitive advantage," he said, "and further supports the European-owned companies that we want to continue to attract and that currently employ over 60,000 Hoosiers statewide.”

Call IndyStar reporter Kaitlin Lange at (317) 432-9270. Follow her on Twitter: @kaitlin_lange.

Call IndyStar reporter Tony Cook at (317) 444-6081. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook.