Some passengers who were scheduled to take an Air France flight from Johannesburg to Paris on Saturday evening had cancelled their bookings.

An Air France official said she could not disclose exactly how many passengers had decided to delay their travel to France after the country was shaken by a series of blasts and gunfire which left around 128 people dead.

While France had declared a state of emergency and shut its borders following the attacks on Friday night, France’s airports were still operational.

One Air France flight had arrived in South Africa from France at 10:35 while the next flight was expected to take off at 19:50.

Meanwhile, the Department of International Relations and Co-Operation (Dirco) was also working to establish the safety of South Africans currently in France.

Dirco spokesperson Clayson Monyela said they had established that embassy staff and the forward delegation to Cop21 were safe.

Dirco’s emergency line (+27) 351 1000, based in Pretoria, is also available for concerned friends and family to check on loved ones. News24