Home » AIRLINE NEWS » Air France-KLM Partners with Groupe ADP to Ease Airport Connections for Short Layovers
Published on
August 15, 2025
Air France has introduced the ‘Short Connection Pass’ to simplify travel for passengers with tight layovers at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport, responding to the growing need for efficient and fast connections in the busy airport. Working alongside Groupe ADP, the airport operator, the service streamlines critical checkpoints like security and border control for passengers with tight connections. Air France’s introduction of the priority access system is designed to alleviate airport stress, ensuring not only speed but also offering efficiency to travelers connecting flights within brief windows.
Air France-KLM has introduced an innovative service designed to simplify connections for passengers with tight schedules at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport. The airline has collaborated with Groupe ADP, the operator overseeing Paris’s major airports—including Orly and Le Bourget—to create a solution that reduces wait times at key checkpoints like security and border control. This new initiative, known as the ‘Short Connection Pass,’ aims to offer passengers a smoother, more efficient transition between flights when they are on a short layover.
The challenge for many travelers with tight connections is managing the stress of quickly passing through essential security checks and customs controls. Recognizing this, Air France and Groupe ADP have developed an automated priority access system that activates when a passenger’s connection time falls below a certain threshold. This technology-driven approach ensures that passengers don’t have to worry about navigating the airport’s bustling terminals while racing against the clock to make their next flight.
When a passenger’s layover is too brief for comfort, the system sends an alert via text message and email. This notification is delivered no later than the passenger’s arrival at Paris CDG, informing them that they qualify for priority access through security and border control. Soon, these updates will also be accessible through Air France’s mobile app and on WhatsApp, making it even more convenient for passengers to stay informed.
To further improve the passenger experience, the airport has introduced a dedicated route with multilingual signage to help travelers efficiently navigate their way through the airport. Once passengers reach their designated security and border checkpoints, their boarding passes are scanned, and they are granted fast-track access, ensuring a smooth and rapid passage through these critical areas.
A practical example illustrates how this system works. Consider a scenario where a passenger arrives at Terminal 2F on a flight from Toulouse and has just 45 minutes to catch a connecting flight to New York JFK at Terminal 2E Hall K. In such cases, the new system is designed to ensure passengers don’t miss their flight by providing them with an expedited route through the airport’s crowded pathways.
The effectiveness of the Short Connection Pass relies on the seamless sharing of real-time information between Air France, Groupe ADP, and the service provider managing the airport’s infrastructure. The system pulls data on various aspects of the airport experience, including the estimated walking time between terminals, the time needed for security checks and customs clearance, wait times at various checkpoints, and any potential delays to the departing flight. With these factors in mind, the system is able to dynamically adjust the process to meet the passenger’s specific needs.
This initiative is expected to benefit approximately 70,000 passengers who are connecting through Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport. With more travelers than ever relying on connecting flights, Air France-KLM and Groupe ADP are working to ease the often-stressful process by leveraging technology to ensure passengers can reach their next gate without the added anxiety of lengthy waits or missed flights.
The launch of the Short Connection Pass represents the first tangible result of the Connect France partnership between Air France-KLM and Groupe ADP. This partnership was officially announced at the Paris Air Show in June and marks a significant step forward in the collaboration between the two entities. By focusing on improving the passenger experience, both organizations aim to set a new standard in air travel efficiency and convenience.
This isn’t the first time such a service has been introduced at major international airports. Other hubs, such as Frankfurt and Schiphol in Amsterdam, have rolled out similar initiatives to streamline the connection process for their passengers. These systems have proven successful in reducing connection stress and ensuring passengers can make their connecting flights with ease, regardless of how tight their layovers may be.
The Short Connection Pass is part of a broader trend in the airline industry, where airports and carriers are increasingly turning to technology to address common pain points for travelers. With rising passenger numbers and the growing complexity of air travel, offering services that can expedite and simplify the journey has become a priority for many major airports worldwide. By implementing systems that focus on reducing wait times and increasing efficiency, these initiatives represent a win-win for both airlines and travelers.
Air France-KLM has launched the ‘Short Connection Pass’ to streamline tight layovers at Paris Charles de Gaulle, reducing wait times at security and border control, ensuring passengers can make their connecting flights with ease. This new service is designed to enhance the travel experience by providing quicker, priority access for time-sensitive connections.
As the industry evolves, services like the Short Connection Pass are likely to become more commonplace, helping to make air travel more seamless and less stressful for millions of passengers. In the case of Air France-KLM and Groupe ADP’s collaboration, the new service is a significant leap forward in creating a better-connected and more user-friendly travel experience at one of Europe’s busiest airports.
