Air France modifies medical equipment transport service between China and France

FILE PHOTO: Logo of Air France KLM Group is pictured on the first Air France airliner's Airbus A350 during a ceremony at the aircraft builder's headquarters of Airbus in Colomiers

PARIS (Reuters) - Air France <AIRF.PA> said on Wednesday that it would be modifying its service to China, used to transport medical equipment between China and France, as a result of new health checks on crews by Chinese authorities.

Flights due to operate the Paris Charles de Gaulle - Shanghai route will see their itinerary changed to Paris Charles de Gaulle, then Seoul, and then Shanghai.

The first aircraft flying the route departed from Paris Charles de Gaulle today at 1300. Its return from Shanghai is scheduled for April 9, arriving at Paris Charles de Gaulle in the evening of the same day, said the airline.

As of April 9, Air France plans to operate one daily flight between Shanghai and Paris Charles de Gaulle using full freighter Boeing 777s or Boeing 777s usually used for passenger transport, of which only the holds will be loaded.

(Reporting by Sudip Kar-Gupta; Editing by Jan Harvey)