"Love is in the air" is the first speed dating flight taking singletons to the romantic city of Paris. ©Ekaterina Pokrovsky/shutterstock.com

"Love is in the air": the first speed dating in the skies event is taking place when hopeful singletons will board a plane in Leeds, England that will take them to Paris, the city of love.

The company Jet2.com is organizing, in collaboration with Capital radio station, a speed dating flight between Leeds Bradford and Paris.

During the flight, the group of passengers hoping to find love will have the opportunity to meet the other participants before taking part in a speed-dating session on a cruise along the River Seine.

In order to take part in the flight, participants entered a competition where they had to state why they deserve to be on the 'love plane' and submit a photo of themselves. The winners are participating free of charge.

Along with the passengers, actors Mario Falcone and Lucy Mecklenburgh from UK TV show The Only Way is Essex, will be participating in what it is the first speed dating in the skies.

A second flight will follow the inaugural flight leaving from Manchester on November 24.

Speed dating events have taken place since the late 1990s in places such as Peet's Café in Beverly Hills. With busy modern lifestyles and less time for leisure, the practice of speed dating became extremely popular after it featured in TV shows such as Sex and the City.

Similar travel events to "Love is in the air" have incorporated speed dating, like the speed dating cruise organized at the beginning of this year in New York. The three-hour voyage around New York included food, drinks and five-minute encounters with other singletons.

A US-based company, Single Cruises offers trips between the US and Puerto Rico for single people which include activities such as speed dating.