Air France is saying bonjour to North Texas for the first time in more than a decade, with planned nonstop service between DFW International Airport and Paris set to launch in March of next year.

The new service will be operated aboard an Airbus A330 with 224 seats beginning March 31 and running through the 2019 summer season. The French carrier said it will operate three weekly flights from March 31 through June 30; and from Sept. 4 to Oct. 25.

In July and August, that will increase to five weekly flights, with departures on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.

It will be the 16th international carrier serving DFW Airport.

Flights from Dallas will depart at 3:45 p.m. and arrive at Paris' Charles de Gaulle Airport at 8:15 a.m. local time the following day. From Paris, flights will depart at 10:10 a.m. local time, arriving in Dallas at 1:50 p.m. local time.

It's the first time Air France has served DFW Airport since a short-lived run in 2001 that saw the route canceled after only a few months due to an industry-wide downturn following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

DFW is the 13th U.S. market for Air France, which also serves Houston. The carrier’s parent company, Air France-KLM, is closely tied to Delta Air Lines through their membership in the SkyTeam Alliance and a trans-Atlantic joint venture, similar to American Airlines’ partnership with British Airways.

North Texas is home to offices or other facilities of 120 French-owned companies, with France ranking as the 13th largest trade partner for the region, according to Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings. Rawlings, along with Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price, visited France in June along with a delegation of airport and other local officials in a trade mission that included a meeting with Air France executives.

"Our recent mission trip to France was intended to spark even more corporate activity between our regions," Rawlings said in a statement. "These new flights will strengthen our business ties with France and western Europe and expand our capacity to travel between DFW and Paris."

American already operates nonstop service from DFW Airport to Paris. The Fort Worth-based carrier recently announced new service from DFW to Dublin, Ireland, and Munich, Germany, for the summer 2019 travel season.

Editor's note: This story was updated at 10:30 a.m. on Sept. 13, 2018, with additional information and a statement from Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings.