Air France Foundation unveils new fundraising platform for travelers

A mission unchanged in purpose, and a renewed ambition

For over 30 years, the Air France Foundation has been working to improve the lives of vulnerable children and young people through its support of non-profit projects in France and worldwide. Some 900 associations in 80 countries received the foundation support.

Its work focuses on three key areas – facilitating access to education and employment, raising awareness of environmental issues, and humanitarian aid initiatives. “We receive each year between 600 and 800 projects. We all look at them according to the Foundation’s criteria. Generally, we will then support around 40 projects per year,” told Estelle Brice, Managing Director of the Air France Foundation.

For the period covering 2025-2026, 36 projects have been selected to receive the Foundation’s support. For 80% of these projects, this involves renewing the existing partnership, reflecting the Foundation’s commitment to ensuring its actions have long-term impact. According to Brice, 30% of the Foundation support goes to projects in France, another third to Africa and the rest to Asia, Latin America and Europe.

To guide its actions and promote its initiatives, the Foundation relies on its administrators, including personalities such as French astronaut Thomas Pesquet, who also worked as a pilot at Air France.

“As a former Air France employee, I have always felt a strong connection with the company, with the Foundation being very close to my heart. I have always sought a deeper purpose in all that I do. I found this by working with associations, especially the one that matters most to me, the Air France Foundation”, told Pesquet.

Air France Foundation presentation in Paris on Sept. 8, 2025 (from left to right: artist Seth, Sarah Poniatowski -Maison Sarah Lavoine-, Anne Rigail CEO Air France, Estelle Brice, Fondation Air France and Thomas Pesquet – Photo: LC/Cleverdis)

Flying Blue miles and now a fundraising platform to help children

One of the Foundation’s distinctive features for interested travelers is to use Flying Blue Miles to fund concrete actions.

Historically, the Foundation funds its activities through contributions from Air France and Servair, as well as donations from Air France customers in the form of Flying Blue Miles. These miles are then converted into concrete actions carried out by associations – sending school supplies, transporting sick children to hospital, or providing educational assistance in isolated areas.

“The collected miles help providing annually hundreds of free tickets to the various NGO and associations that the Foundation helps. We also carry for free luggage and parcels for the need of these associations,” highlighted Anne Rigail, CEO of Air France. Miles donations can be made directly on the Flying Blue website.

Starting September 2025, the Air France Foundation is also launching a new online fundraising platform. The platform allows one-time or recurring donations by credit card. The goal is to give everyone, travelers and non-travelers alike, the opportunity to support projects selected by the Foundation. Each donation generates a tax receipt, qualifying donors for an income tax deduction (in France).

Air France employees involved

The Foundation’s strength also lies in the dedicated involvement of Air France employees from all sectors of the company. In 2024, more than 5,000 employees, from pilots and cabin crew to administrative staff across the world participated in local on-the-ground initiatives, fundraising, or mentoring programs.

“Since it was set up in 1992, the Air France Foundation has supported over 1.5 million children and young people who are sick, disabled or in great difficulty worldwide”, stated further Anne Rigail, CEO of Air France. “Its mission is made possible thanks to the extraordinary dedication of partner associations, administrators and Air France employees. This outstanding collective effort, together with the generous support of a growing number of donors, will allow the Foundation to pursue its vital work.”