SAO PAULO, Brazil, May 3 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- TAM (Bovespa: TAMM4) (NYSE:TAM) will begin operating a weekly direct flight between Salvador and Paris beginning August 9. The new route will meet the increasing demand of passengers in Bahia, who will be able to use various special services offered by TAM on this flight.

The route will be operated with the modern Airbus A330 aircraft, equipped with business and economy classes, with arrivals and departures on Thursdays. When operations begin, TAM will be the only airline to offer regular flights between Salvador and Paris.

This is the third international route offered by TAM from Salvador. The company already operates a weekly flight between Salvador and Miami (USA), with arrivals and departures on Sundays. It also operates a daily route to Buenos Aires (Argentina), with a stopover at Guarulhos International Airport in Sao Paulo. The flight from Salvador to Buenos Aires was launched at the end of March to ease passenger traffic on this route, eliminating the need for connecting flights.

The new route between Salvador and Paris should help to promote international tourism in Bahia and in other northeastern states, functioning as an entry for foreign visitors. In addition to this flight, TAM offers a weekly route linking Recife and Paris, with departures on Fridays and arrivals on Sundays.