Let us clarify: the municipality of Bergerac did not spend a cent to have the plane named like this. The name was chosen by the company. Borrowed from the navy, the tradition of naming planes dates back to the 1930s, explains the latter. The repertoire of names has evolved over the years: provinces (Gascogne, Guyenne, etc.), adjectives (Active, Agile, etc.), constellations (Cassiopeia, Altaïr, etc.), birds (Albatross, Stork, etc.), French castles, etc.
A tradition which was interrupted in the 1970s before being relaunched by Air France in 2019, this time using city names. Today there are 162 devices in the name of cities, and the South-West is not left out. After Saint-Émilion, Lesparre-Médoc, Agen, and Arcachon, the first town in Dordogne to appear on a cabin was Sarlat-la-Canéda, in January 2024.
“Bergerac” will not land in Bergerac
Little chance, however, of seeing the “Bergerac” plane land in Bergerac. Indeed, Air France does not provide a connection from Roumanière airport. “Bergerac” (or rather F-HPNP, according to its international registration) is assigned to the company's short and medium-haul routes. It made its first commercial flight on December 31 to Barcelona and has since operated to a dozen French and European cities.
France
