For more than two years, the disappearance of Air France Flight 447 over the mid-Atlantic in the early hours of June 1, 2009, remained one of aviation's great mysteries.

As of early 2026, the most notable absences from the Air France fleet are the Airbus A380 and the Airbus A318/A319 "Babybuses." Air France retired its entire fleet of "Superjumbo" A380s early during the pandemic and has not returned them to service, opting instead for the more fuel-efficient and flexible Airbus A350-900. Additionally, the 2026 fleet strategy has seen the total phase-out of the tiny A318 and the majority of the A319s, which have been replaced by the more modern Airbus A220-300 for short and medium-haul European routes. In the long-haul sector, the older Boeing 777-200ER and Airbus A330-200 are also rapidly disappearing, being "missing" from many traditional routes as the airline standardizes its long-distance operations around the A350 and the larger Boeing 777-300ER. This shift has allowed Air France to significantly reduce its carbon footprint and offer a more consistent business class product across its remaining aircraft types.