Air France
Encyclopedia
Air France stylised as AIRFRANCE, is the French flag carrier
headquartered in Tremblay-en-France
, (north of Paris), and is one of the world's largest airlines. It is a subsidiary of the Air France-KLM
Group and a founding member of the SkyTeam
global airline alliance. As of 2010 Air France serves 32 destinations in France and operates worldwide scheduled passenger and cargo services to 154 destinations in 91 countries (including Overseas departments and territories of France
) and also carried 71.3 million passengers. The airline's global hub
is at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport, with Paris Orly Airport, Lyon-Saint Exupéry Airport, and Nice Côte d'Azur Airport serving as secondary hubs. Air France's corporate
headquarters, previously in Montparnasse
, Paris, are located on the grounds of Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport, north of Paris.
Air France was formed on 7 October 1933 from a merger of Air Orient
, Air Union
, Compagnie Générale Aéropostale, Compagnie Internationale de Navigation Aérienne (CIDNA), and Société Générale de Transport Aérien (SGTA). In 1990, the airline acquired the operations of French domestic carrier Air Inter
and international rival UTA – Union des Transports Aériens. Air France served as France's primary national flag carrier
for seven decades prior to its 2003 merger with KLM. Between April 2001 and March 2002, the airline carried 43.3 million passengers and had a total revenue
of €12.53bn. In November 2004, Air France ranked as the largest European airline with 25.5% total market share, and was the largest airline in the world in terms of operating revenue.
Air France operates a mixed fleet of Airbus
and Boeing
widebodied jet
s on long-haul routes, and uses Airbus A320 family
aircraft on short-haul routes. Air France introduced the A380
on 20 November 2009 with service to New York's JFK Airport from Paris' Charles de Gaulle Airport. The carrier's regional airline
subsidiary, Régional, operates the majority of its regional domestic and European scheduled services with a fleet of regional jet
and turboprop
aircraft.
), and Société Générale de Transport Aérien (SGTA). Of these airlines, SGTA was the first commercial airline company in France, having been founded as Lignes Aériennes Farman in 1919. The constituent members of Air France had already built extensive networks across Europe, to French colonies
in North Africa and farther afield. During World War II
, Air France moved its operations to Casablanca
(Morocco).
On 26 June 1945, all of France's air transport companies were nationalise
d. On 29 December 1945, a decree of the French government granted Air France the management of the entire French air transport network. Air France appointed its first flight attendant
s in 1946. The same year the airline opened its first air terminal at Les Invalides
in central Paris. It was linked to Paris Le Bourget Airport, Air France's first operations and engineering base, by coach. At that time the network covered 160,000 km, claimed to be the longest in the world. Société Nationale Air France was set up on 1 January 1946.
On 1 July 1946, Air France inaugurated direct scheduled service between Paris and New York via refuelling stops at Shannon and Gander
. Douglas DC-4
piston-engined
airliner
s covered the route in just under 20 hours. By 1948 Air France operated one of the largest fleets in the world, numbering 130 aircraft. Between 1947 and 1965, the airline operated a large fleet of Lockheed Constellation
s on passenger and cargo services worldwide. In 1946 and 1948, respectively, the French government further authorised the creation of two private airlines: Transports Aériens Internationaux
– later Transports Aériens Intercontinentaux
– (TAI) and SATI. In 1949 the latter became part of Union Aéromaritime de Transport (UAT)
, a private French international airline.
Compagnie Nationale Air France was created by act of parliament
on 16 June 1948. Initially, the government held 70%. In subsequent years the French state's direct and indirect shareholdings reached almost 100%. In mid-2002 the state held 54%.
On 4 August 1948 Max Hymans
was appointed president. During his 13-year tenure
he would implement modernisation practices centred on the introduction of jet aircraft
. In 1949, the company became a co-founder of Société Internationale de Télécommunications Aéronautiques (SITA)
, an airline telecommunications services company.
In 1952, Air France moved its operations and engineering base to the new Paris Orly Airport South terminal. By that time, the network had further expanded, covering 250,000 km. Air France entered the jet age in 1953 with the original, short-lived de Havilland Comet
series 1, the world's first jetliner
.
During the mid 1950s, it was also a major operator of the Vickers Viscount
turboprop, with twelve examples entering service between May 1953 and August 1954, serving on the European routes. On 26 September 1953, the government instructed Air France to share long-distance routes with new private airlines. This was followed by the Ministry of Public Works and Transport's imposition of an accord
on Air France, Aigle Azur
, TAI and UAT
, under which some routes to Africa, Asia and the Pacific region were transferred to private carriers.
On 23 February 1960, the Ministry of Public Works and Transport transferred Air France's domestic monopoly to Air Inter. To compensate for the loss of its domestic network, Air France was given a stake in Air Inter. The following day, Air France was further instructed to share African routes with Air Afrique
and UAT.
The airline started uninterrupted pure jet
operations in 1960 with the Sud Aviation Caravelle
and the Boeing 707
. The incorporation of jet airliners into Air France's route network cut travel times in half and improved passenger comfort. Air France later became an early Boeing 747 operator, and eventually operated one of the world's largest 747 fleets.
On 1 February 1963, the government formalised division of routes between Air France and its private sector
rivals. Air France was to withdraw services to West Africa (with the exception of Senegal
), Central Africa (except Burundi
and Rwanda
), Southern Africa (including South Africa), Libya
in North Africa, Bahrain and Oman
in the Middle East, Sri Lanka (then known as Ceylon) in South Asia, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore
in Southeast Asia, Australia, New Zealand as well as New Caledonia
and Tahiti
. These routes were allocated to the new Union des Transports Aériens (UTA), a new private airline that was the result of a merger between TAI and UAT. UTA also obtained exclusive rights between Japan, New Caledonia and New Zealand, South Africa and Réunion
island in the Indian Ocean, as well as Los Angeles and Tahiti.
From 1974, Air France began shifting the bulk of operations to the new Charles de Gaulle Airport north of Paris. By the early 1980s, only Corsica
, Martinique, Guadeloupe
, most services to French Guyana, Réunion, the Maghreb
region, Eastern Europe (except the USSR), Southern Europe (except Greece
and Italy
), and one daily service to New York (JFK) remained at Orly. In 1974, Air France also became the world's first operator of the Airbus A300
twin-engined widebodied plane, Airbus Industrie's first commercial airliner for which it was a launch customer.
service on the Paris (Charles de Gaulle) to Rio
(via Dakar
) route with Anglo-French BAC-Aérospatiale Concorde
F-BVFA. Supersonic services from Paris (CDG) to Washington Dulles International Airport
began on 24 May 1976, also with F-BVFA. Service to New York
(JFK) – the only remaining Concorde service until its end – commenced on 22 November 1977. Paris to New York was flown in 3 hours 23 minutes, at about twice the speed of sound
. Approval for flights to the United States was initially withheld due to noise protests. Eventually, services to Mexico City
via Washington, D.C. were started. Air France became one of only two airlines – British Airways
being the other – to regularly operate supersonic services, and continued daily transatlantic Concorde service until late May, 2003.
By 1983, Air France's golden jubilee
, the workforce numbered more than 34,000, its fleet about 100 jet aircraft
(including 33 Boeing 747
s) and its 634,400 km network served 150 destinations in 73 countries. This made Air France the fourth-largest scheduled passenger airline in the world, as well as the second-largest scheduled freight carrier. Air France also codeshared with regional French airlines, TAT being the most prominent. TAT would later operate several regional international routes on behalf of Air France. In 1983 Air France began passenger flights to South Korea
, being the first European airline to do so.
In 1986 the government relaxed its policy of dividing traffic rights for scheduled services between Air France, Air Inter and UTA, without route overlaps between them. The decision opened some of Air France's most lucrative routes on which it had enjoyed a government-sanctioned monopoly since 1963 and which were within its exclusive sphere of influence, to rival airlines, notably UTA. The changes enabled UTA to launch scheduled services to new destinations within Air France's sphere, in competition with that airline.
Paris-San Francisco became the first route UTA served in competition with Air France non-stop from Paris. Air France responded by extending some non-stop Paris-Los Angeles services to Papeete
, Tahiti, which competed with UTA on Los Angeles-Papeete. UTA's ability to secure traffic rights outside its traditional sphere in competition with Air France was the result of a campaign to lobby
the government to enable it to grow faster, becoming more dynamic and more profitable
. This infuriated Air France.
In 1987 Air France together with Lufthansa
, Iberia and SAS
founded Amadeus
, an IT company (also known as a GDS
) that would enable travel agencies to sell the founders and other airlines' products from a single system.
In 1988, Air France was a launch customer for the fly-by-wire (FBW)
A320 narrowbody twin, along with Air Inter and British Caledonian
. It became the first airline to take delivery of the A320
in March 1988, and along with Air Inter became the first airlines to introduce Airbus A320 service on short-haul routes.
and global reach to counter potential threats from the liberalisation of the EU's internal air transport market.
On 25 July 1994, a new holding company, Groupe Air France, was set up by decree. Groupe Air France became operational on 1 September 1994. It acquired the Air France group's majority shareholdings in Air France and Air Inter (subsequently renamed Air France Europe). On 31 August 1994, Stephen Wolf
, a former United Airlines
CEO, was appointed adviser to the Air France group's chairman Christian Blanc
. Wolf was credited with the introduction of Air France's hub and spoke operation at Paris Charles de Gaulle. (Wolf resigned in 1996 to take over as CEO at US Airways
.)
In 1997, Air France Europe was absorbed into Air France. On 19 February 1999, French Prime Minister Lionel Jospin
's Plural Left government approved the Air France's partial privatisation. Its shares
were listed on the Paris stock exchange
on 22 February 1999. In June 1999, Air France and Delta Air Lines
formed a bilateral
transatlantic
partnership
. On 22 June 2000, this expanded into the SkyTeam
global airline alliance
.
-based KLM Royal Dutch Airlines announced the merger of the two airlines, the new company to be known as Air France-KLM. The merger became reality on 5 May 2004. At that point former Air France shareholders owned 81% of the new firm (44% owned by the French state, 37% by private shareholders), former KLM shareholders the rest. The decision of the Jean-Pierre Raffarin
government to reduce the French state's shareholding in the former Air France group from 54.4% to 44% of the newly created Air France-KLM Group effectively privatised the new airline. In December 2004 the state sold 18.4% of its equity in Air France-KLM. The state's shareholding in Air France-KLM subsequently fell to just under 20%.
Air France-KLM became the largest airline in the world in terms of operating revenue
s, and third-largest (largest in Europe) in passenger kilometres. Although owned by a single company, Air France and KLM continued to fly under their own brand names. Air France-KLM remained part of the SkyTeam alliance, which then included Aeroflot
, Delta Air Lines
, Aeroméxico
, Korean Air
, Czech Airlines
, Alitalia
, Northwest Airlines
, China Southern Airlines
, Air Europa and Continental Airlines
. As of March 2004, Air France employed 71,654 people. As of March 2007, the airline employed 102,422 personnel.
According to Air France-KLM, the company's principal activities became:
, which opened to unrestricted competition on that day as a result of the "Open Skies
" pact
between the EU and USA. It was envisaged that Air France and Delta
, as well as fellow SkyTeam members Continental
and Northwest
, would begin nine daily round trips between London-Heathrow and destinations in the USA, including a daily London (Heathrow) to Los Angeles service by Air France. Once the new Air France-Delta venture received antitrust immunity, it was to be extended to the other two transatlantic SkyTeam partners, enabling all four partners to codeshare flights as well as to share revenue and profit.
The new transatlantic joint venture marks the Air France-KLM Group's second major expansion in the London market, following the launch of CityJet
-operated short-haul services from London City Airport
that have been aimed at business travellers in the City
's financial services
industry. However, the daily London (Heathrow) to Los Angeles service was not as successful as hoped, and was discontinued in November 2008.
's capital share with a 25% stake. This capital investment is coupled with a co-operation agreement on an industrial basis.
In 2010 the company opened its smartphone version of its corporate website.
, Seine-Saint-Denis, near the city of Paris. Wil S. Hylton of The New York Times
described the facility as "a huge white box that squats near the runways at Charles de Gaulle Airport."
The 130000 sqm complex was completed in December 1995. The French firm Groupement d'Etudes et de Méthodes d'Ordonnancement (GEMO) managed the project. The architect was Valode & Pistre
and the design consultants were Sechaud-Boyssut and Trouvin. The project cost 137,000,000 euros (less than 700 million francs
). The runways of the airport are visible from the building. The Air France Operations Control Centre (OCC, French: Centre de Contrôle des Opérations, CCO), which coordinates Air France flights worldwide, is situated at the AF head office.
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For about 30 years prior to December 1995, Air France's headquarters were located in a tower adjacent to the Gare Montparnasse
rail station in the Montparnasse
area and the 15th arrondissement of Paris. By 1991 two bids for the purchase of the Square Max Hymans building had been made. By 1992 the complex was sold to MGEN for 1.6 billion francs
. By that year Air France had planned to move its head office to Roissypôle, taking 50000 sqm of space inside the hotel, office, and shopping complex on the grounds of Charles de Gaulle Airport. After Air France moved to Tremblay-en-France, the ownership of the former head office complex was transferred.
building in Midtown Manhattan
, New York City. Air France first signed a lease to occupy the building in 1991. The site also formerly housed the New York City city ticket office for Air France.
Air France-KLM's head office for United Kingdom and Ireland operations, which includes facilities for Air France and KLM, is located in Plesman House in Hatton Cross. The facility's inauguration was on 6 July 2006. Air France moved the office from Hounslow
to Hatton.
, opened in February 2006. The first phase consisted of 33400 sqm of space and 4,300 parking spaces. The building is connected to the Air France head office.
(ISO) 9001. In 2005 the centre moved from the Aérogare des Invalides to its current location.
, a new low-cost subsidiary based at Orly airport. Operations began in May 2007 with flights to leisure destinations in the Mediterranean region and North Africa. It is operating four "Next Generation" Boeing 737–800 aircraft. Transavia has a 40% stake, with Air France holding the rest. Airlinair
, Brit Air
, CityJet
, CCM Airlines
and Régional all operate flights on behalf of Air France, either as subsidiaries or as franchisees.
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The subsidiaries of Air France include:
(Alpha3) that manages reservation, inventory and pricing to an external system (Altéa) managed by Amadeus
. In rail ventures, Air France and Veolia are looking into jointly operating high-speed rail
services in Europe. Routes have become available to operators in accordance with European rail liberalisation on 1 January 2010.
Air France's present livery is a "Eurowhite" scheme, comprising a white fuselage with the blue Air France title and design. The tail is white with a series of parallel red and blue lines across the it at an angle, and a small European flag at the top. This livery has been in use since the late 1970s. Prior to the "Eurowhite" livery, Air France aircraft had a bare-metal underside, extending up to a blue cheat-line that ran across the cabin windows. Above the cheat-line the fuselage was again white, with Air France titles and a French flag. The tail was white with two thick blue lines, which tapered from the rear of the tail and met at point towards the front bottom. This basic livery, with minor variations, would appear on all post-war Air France aircraft until the late 1970s.
In 2008, to coincide with Air France's new logo, a new livery was unveiled. The 2008 livery saw the tail slightly changed; there are now 3 blue bars running down instead of 4 previously. The bars also now curve at the bottom, reflecting the design of the logo.
. Air France has used different popular music groups for its marketing and on-board ambience, ranging from The Chemical Brothers
in 1999 to Telepopmusik
in 2010.
.
logo of its predecessor Air Orient, known as the hippocampe ailé (sometimes derisively called "la crevette" – or shrimp – by its employees), as its insignia. Prior to the Air France-KLM merger, the hippocampe ailé was used on the nose section of aircraft next to the Groupe Air France title; after the merger, the Air France-KLM logo was substituted at the nose area, and the hippocampe ailé was relocated to engine nacelles. The acronym "AF" has also featured prominently on the airline's flag and its signage. On 7 January 2008, Air France officially changed its logo to a red stripe.
) across 6 major continents. This includes Air France Cargo services and those destinations served by franchisees Airlinair
, Brit Air
, CityJet
, CCM Airlines
and Régional.
Most of Air France's international flights operate from Paris-Roissy Charles de Gaulle airport. Air France also has a strong presence at Paris-Orly and Lyon-Saint-Exupéry airports. As Air France becomes more a strategic partner with Delta Air Lines through the SkyTeam alliance and through a substantial joint venture, new routes and code-share agreements are developing rapidly.
, CityJet
and Régional subsidiaries, and its SkyTeam
alliance partnership, Air France offers frequent flyer partnerships with approximately two-dozen airlines (as of March 2011).
The first A380 was delivered on 30 October 2009, and the Paris to New York route was used as the first route.
Following delivery of the second A380, Air France started using it on the Paris to Johannesburg route from the 17 February 2010. With delivery of the third A380 in April 2010, they increased the frequency of the Johannesburg route to daily. Additionally, between 12 June and 30 August 2010, the carrier scheduled flights between Paris and London using the A380 on Saturdays, Sundays, Mondays, and Fridays in July only, to avoid an 18-hour layover in Paris for the aircraft used on the Johannesburg route. This route performed very well, with an average load factor of 96%. The fourth A380 has been delivered in August 2010, and has been used to begin A380 flights to Tokyo, which started on 1 September 2010. As of 22 April 2011, Air France offers daily service aboard the A380 to Montreal. Air France also launched the A380 on services to Washington D.C. in summer 2011. Air France was the first airline in Europe to be operating the A380 with Lufthansa following in June 2010. Air France will also launch the A380 to Dubai
on 5 December 2011 and to Los Angeles
on 28 May 2012.
was planned to fly under the special colours until early 2010. As of August 2011, the heritage aircraft was still in service.
, at Gonesse (near Charles de Gaulle International Airport), as well as higher fuel and maintenance costs. British Airways flew its last Concorde service on 24 October 2003. Concorde F-BVFA was transferred to the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center
, an annex of the National Air & Space Museum in the Chantilly
area of Fairfax County, Virginia
, United States, near Washington Dulles International Airport. F-BVFB was given to the Sinsheim Auto & Technik Museum
in Germany, F-BTSD to the Musée de l'Air et de l'Espace
at Le Bourget Airport in Paris, while F-BVFC returned to its place of manufacture in Toulouse
, at the Airbus factory. F-BVFF is the only example to remain at Charles de Gaulle Airport.
Air France has four primary classes of international service: La Première (First), Affaires (Business), Premium Voyageur (Premium Economy) and Voyageur (Economy). European short-haul flights feature Voyageur and Premium Voyageur class service. For flights to the Caribbean
and Indian Ocean, a premium economy class, Alizé, is also offered, and a Premium Voyageur class has been announced for selected international routes. Inflight entertainment via AVOD (Audio Video on Demand) is available in select cabins.
product, is available on the Airbus A380 along with four-class Boeing 777-300ER and 777-200ER aircraft. The Première cabin features four to nine (A380) wood and leather seats which recline 180°, forming two-metre
long beds. Each seat features a 10.4" touchscreen TV monitor with interactive gaming and AVOD, a privacy divider, automassage feature, reading light, storage drawer, noise-cancelling headphones, personal telephone, and laptop power ports. À la carte
on-demand meal services feature entrées created by Chef Guy Martin. Turndown service includes a mattress, duvet and pillow. Private lounge access is offered worldwide. La Première is not available on the A330-200 and A340-300, where Affaires is the highest cabin class; and since 2010, the same applies to three-class 777-200ER and 777-300ER aircraft. Through 2011, four-class 777-200ER and 777-300ER configurations are equipped with four and eight La Première seats respectively.
Affaires (former L'Espace Affaires), Air France's long-haul business class
product, is available on Airbus A330, Airbus A340, Airbus A380, Boeing 747–400, Boeing 777-200ER, and Boeing 777-300ER aircraft. Affaires features lie-flat seats which recline to two metres in length. Each seat includes a 10.4" touchscreen TV monitor with interactive gaming and AVOD, reading light, personal telephone, and laptop power ports. Meal service features three-course meals and a cheese service, or an express menu served shortly after takeoff.
, French Guiana, Reunion Island and Mauritius
). On the Boeing 777-300ER, the Alizé cabin is located ahead of the Voyageur cabin and features 36 seats. Alizé seats recline up to 123° and feature massaging foot rests. A pre-departure drink, enhanced meal service, and feather pillows and blankets are offered.
class became available on the Boeing 777-200ER, 777-300ER, Airbus A340-300 and Airbus A330-200 in late 2009 and early 2010. In late 2010 and early 2011, Air France's new Airbus A380-800 were fitted with the premium economy
seats, located behind the Affaires cabin on the upper deck of the aircraft. It incorporates all standard Voyageur class amenities with a more spacious 2-4-2 (2-3-2 on the Long Haul Airbus Fleet) configuration and 38" pitch. There are 32 new seats on the Boeing 777-300ER. Premium Voyageur's gradual rollout covers the entire long-haul fleet except the Boeing 747–400.
product, features seats that recline up to 118°. The latest long-haul Voyageur seat, which debuted on the Boeing 777-300ER, includes winged headrests, a personal telephone, and a touchscreen TV monitor with AVOD Interactive Entertainment System which are gradually being installed on all of Air France's longhaul aircraft except Boeing 747-400s. Short-haul Voyageur services are operated by Airbus A320 family aircraft with different seating arrangements. Air France is one of the few airlines who features winged headrests on short-haul aircraft in both classes. On short haul flights a snack is served. On medium haul flights a three course cold meal is served. On long haul flights there is a choice between two main courses when available. Free alcoholic beverages are available on all flights, including champagne. The prior Tempo cabin was renamed as Voyageur with Air France's new image rebranding.
three-star restaurant in Paris. Menu items include hors d’oeuvres, entrées, bread basket, and cheeses, along with a dessert cart including pastries, petit fours, and tartlets. Air France also serves complimentary champagne to passengers in all classes.
Air France offers Audio Video on Demand (AVOD) in all classes on service on its A330, A340, A380 and 777 aircraft. The AVOD system features multiple channels of video, audio, music, and games. Première and Affaires passengers can start and stop programs, plus rewind and fast-forward as desired; in Voyageur class, the system may cycle between programs at a regular interval on all aircraft except Airbus A380 and Boeing 777. Most aircraft in Air France's 747 fleet do not have individual video screens in Voyageur class. Air France Magazine, the airline's in-flight publication, is included at each seat, and Air France Madame, a fashion luxury magazine with a feminine perspective, is included in Première and Affaires cabins and lounges. On all flights, all films may be watched in English, Spanish, and French. Selected films on all flights are also available in Chinese, Japanese, and/or Korean. The airline offers Berlitz International language courses via the in-flight entertainment system. Air France Magazine is the airline's in-flight magazine.
Flying Blue, the frequent flyer program
of Air France-KLM, awards members points based on miles travelled and class of service. Membership into the program is free. The program is divided into standard (Ivory) and Elite (Silver, Gold and Platinum) statuses. Ivory is the basic level which is attained upon entry into the program. Elite status is attained by accruing a certain number of miles within one calendar year. Elite Silver, Elite Gold, and Elite Platinum cards have added benefits. Flying Blue succeeded Air France's previous frequent flyer program, Fréquence Plus, which operated until the Air France-KLM merger in 2003.
For French and Monegasque
residents, Elite thresholds are higher, at 30,000, 60,000, and 90,000 miles respectively.
.
Flag carrier
A flag carrier is a transportation company, such as an airline or shipping company, that, being locally registered in a given country, enjoys preferential rights or privileges, accorded by the government, for international operations. It may be a state-run, state-owned or private but...
headquartered in Tremblay-en-France
Tremblay-en-France
Tremblay-en-France is a commune in the northeastern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the center of Paris.More than one-quarter of Charles de Gaulle Airport lies on the territory of the commune of Tremblay-en-France, in particular terminals 2A, 2B, 2C, and 2D...
, (north of Paris), and is one of the world's largest airlines. It is a subsidiary of the Air France-KLM
Air France-KLM
Air France-KLM is a European airline holding company incorporated under French law with its headquarters at Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport in Tremblay-en-France, Paris...
Group and a founding member of the SkyTeam
SkyTeam
SkyTeam, branded as SKYTEAM, is an airline alliance with its centralised management team, SkyTeam Central, based at the World Trade Center Schiphol Airport on the grounds of Amsterdam Airport Schiphol in Haarlemmermeer, Netherlands...
global airline alliance. As of 2010 Air France serves 32 destinations in France and operates worldwide scheduled passenger and cargo services to 154 destinations in 91 countries (including Overseas departments and territories of France
Overseas departments and territories of France
The French Overseas Departments and Territories consist broadly of French-administered territories outside of the European continent. These territories have varying legal status and different levels of autonomy, although all have representation in the Parliament of France , and consequently the...
) and also carried 71.3 million passengers. The airline's global hub
Airline hub
An airline hub is an airport that an airline uses as a transfer point to get passengers to their intended destination. It is part of a hub and spoke model, where travelers moving between airports not served by direct flights change planes en route to their destinations...
is at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport, with Paris Orly Airport, Lyon-Saint Exupéry Airport, and Nice Côte d'Azur Airport serving as secondary hubs. Air France's corporate
Corporation
A corporation is created under the laws of a state as a separate legal entity that has privileges and liabilities that are distinct from those of its members. There are many different forms of corporations, most of which are used to conduct business. Early corporations were established by charter...
headquarters, previously in Montparnasse
Montparnasse
Montparnasse is an area of Paris, France, on the left bank of the river Seine, centred at the crossroads of the Boulevard du Montparnasse and the Rue de Rennes, between the Rue de Rennes and boulevard Raspail...
, Paris, are located on the grounds of Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport, north of Paris.
Air France was formed on 7 October 1933 from a merger of Air Orient
Air Orient
-History:Air Orient was an airline based in France. Created in 1929 from the merger of Air Asie and Air Union Lignes d’Orient , the short lived airline was merged with Air France October 7, 1933....
, Air Union
Air Union
Air Union was a French airline established 1 January 1923 as the result of a merger between the airlines Compagnie des Messageries Aériennes and Compagnie des Grands Express Aériens...
, Compagnie Générale Aéropostale, Compagnie Internationale de Navigation Aérienne (CIDNA), and Société Générale de Transport Aérien (SGTA). In 1990, the airline acquired the operations of French domestic carrier Air Inter
Air Inter
Air Inter was a semi-public French domestic airline. Before its merger with Air France, the airline was headquartered in Paray-Vieille-Poste, Essonne. Earlier in its life, it was headquartered in the 1st arrondissement of Paris.Air Inter was incorporated on 12 November 1954...
and international rival UTA – Union des Transports Aériens. Air France served as France's primary national flag carrier
Flag carrier
A flag carrier is a transportation company, such as an airline or shipping company, that, being locally registered in a given country, enjoys preferential rights or privileges, accorded by the government, for international operations. It may be a state-run, state-owned or private but...
for seven decades prior to its 2003 merger with KLM. Between April 2001 and March 2002, the airline carried 43.3 million passengers and had a total revenue
Revenue
In business, revenue is income that a company receives from its normal business activities, usually from the sale of goods and services to customers. In many countries, such as the United Kingdom, revenue is referred to as turnover....
of €12.53bn. In November 2004, Air France ranked as the largest European airline with 25.5% total market share, and was the largest airline in the world in terms of operating revenue.
Air France operates a mixed fleet of Airbus
Airbus
Airbus SAS is an aircraft manufacturing subsidiary of EADS, a European aerospace company. Based in Blagnac, France, surburb of Toulouse, and with significant activity across Europe, the company produces around half of the world's jet airliners....
and Boeing
Boeing
The Boeing Company is an American multinational aerospace and defense corporation, founded in 1916 by William E. Boeing in Seattle, Washington. Boeing has expanded over the years, merging with McDonnell Douglas in 1997. Boeing Corporate headquarters has been in Chicago, Illinois since 2001...
widebodied jet
Jet aircraft
A jet aircraft is an aircraft propelled by jet engines. Jet aircraft generally fly much faster than propeller-powered aircraft and at higher altitudes – as high as . At these altitudes, jet engines achieve maximum efficiency over long distances. The engines in propeller-powered aircraft...
s on long-haul routes, and uses Airbus A320 family
Airbus A320 family
The Airbus A320 family is a family of short- to medium-range, narrow-body, commercial passenger jet airliners manufactured by Airbus Industrie.Airbus was originally a consortium of European aerospace companies, and is now fully owned by EADS. Airbus's name has been Airbus SAS since 2001...
aircraft on short-haul routes. Air France introduced the A380
Airbus A380
The Airbus A380 is a double-deck, wide-body, four-engine jet airliner manufactured by the European corporation Airbus, a subsidiary of EADS. It is the largest passenger airliner in the world. Due to its size, many airports had to modify and improve facilities to accommodate it...
on 20 November 2009 with service to New York's JFK Airport from Paris' Charles de Gaulle Airport. The carrier's regional airline
Regional airline
Regional airlines are airlines that operate regional aircraft to provide passenger air service to communities without sufficient demand to attract mainline service...
subsidiary, Régional, operates the majority of its regional domestic and European scheduled services with a fleet of regional jet
Regional jet
A Regional jet , is a class of short to medium-range turbofan powered airliners.-History:The term "Regional jet" describes a range of short to medium-haul turbofan powered aircraft, whose use throughout the world expanded after the advent of Airline Deregulation in the United States in...
and turboprop
Turboprop
A turboprop engine is a type of turbine engine which drives an aircraft propeller using a reduction gear.The gas turbine is designed specifically for this application, with almost all of its output being used to drive the propeller...
aircraft.
Formation and early years
Air France was formed on 7 October 1933, from a merger of Air Orient, Air Union, Compagnie Générale Aéropostale, Compagnie Internationale de Navigation Aérienne (CIDNACIDNA
CFRNA , later CIDNA CFRNA ("The French-Romanian Company for Air Transport"; Compagnie franco-roumaine de navigation aérienne in French; Compania franceză - română pentru navigaţia aeriană in Romanian), later CIDNA CFRNA ("The French-Romanian Company for Air Transport"; Compagnie franco-roumaine de...
), and Société Générale de Transport Aérien (SGTA). Of these airlines, SGTA was the first commercial airline company in France, having been founded as Lignes Aériennes Farman in 1919. The constituent members of Air France had already built extensive networks across Europe, to French colonies
French Colonies
"French Colonies" is the name used by philatelists to refer to the postage stamps issued by France for use in the parts of the French colonial empire that did not have stamps of their own...
in North Africa and farther afield. During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Air France moved its operations to Casablanca
Casablanca
Casablanca is a city in western Morocco, located on the Atlantic Ocean. It is the capital of the Grand Casablanca region.Casablanca is Morocco's largest city as well as its chief port. It is also the biggest city in the Maghreb. The 2004 census recorded a population of 2,949,805 in the prefecture...
(Morocco).
On 26 June 1945, all of France's air transport companies were nationalise
Nationalization
Nationalisation, also spelled nationalization, is the process of taking an industry or assets into government ownership by a national government or state. Nationalization usually refers to private assets, but may also mean assets owned by lower levels of government, such as municipalities, being...
d. On 29 December 1945, a decree of the French government granted Air France the management of the entire French air transport network. Air France appointed its first flight attendant
Flight attendant
Flight attendants or cabin crew are members of an aircrew employed by airlines primarily to ensure the safety and comfort of passengers aboard commercial flights, on select business jet aircraft, and on some military aircraft.-History:The role of a flight attendant derives from that of similar...
s in 1946. The same year the airline opened its first air terminal at Les Invalides
Les Invalides
Les Invalides , officially known as L'Hôtel national des Invalides , is a complex of buildings in the 7th arrondissement of Paris, France, containing museums and monuments, all relating to the military history of France, as well as a hospital and a retirement home for war veterans, the building's...
in central Paris. It was linked to Paris Le Bourget Airport, Air France's first operations and engineering base, by coach. At that time the network covered 160,000 km, claimed to be the longest in the world. Société Nationale Air France was set up on 1 January 1946.
Gander International Airport
Gander International Airport is located in Gander, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, and is currently run by the Gander Airport Authority. Canadian Forces Base Gander shares the airfield but is a separate entity from the airport.-Early years and prominence:...
. Douglas DC-4
Douglas DC-4
The Douglas DC-4 is a four-engined propeller-driven airliner developed by the Douglas Aircraft Company. It served during World War II, in the Berlin Airlift and into the 1960s in a military role...
piston-engined
Piston
A piston is a component of reciprocating engines, reciprocating pumps, gas compressors and pneumatic cylinders, among other similar mechanisms. It is the moving component that is contained by a cylinder and is made gas-tight by piston rings. In an engine, its purpose is to transfer force from...
airliner
Airliner
An airliner is a large fixed-wing aircraft for transporting passengers and cargo. Such aircraft are operated by airlines. Although the definition of an airliner can vary from country to country, an airliner is typically defined as an aircraft intended for carrying multiple passengers in commercial...
s covered the route in just under 20 hours. By 1948 Air France operated one of the largest fleets in the world, numbering 130 aircraft. Between 1947 and 1965, the airline operated a large fleet of Lockheed Constellation
Lockheed Constellation
The Lockheed Constellation was a propeller-driven airliner powered by four 18-cylinder radial Wright R-3350 engines. It was built by Lockheed between 1943 and 1958 at its Burbank, California, USA, facility. A total of 856 aircraft were produced in numerous models, all distinguished by a...
s on passenger and cargo services worldwide. In 1946 and 1948, respectively, the French government further authorised the creation of two private airlines: Transports Aériens Internationaux
Transports Aériens Intercontinentaux
Transports Aériens Intercontinentaux was a private French airline, based at Orly Airport, Paris. In 1963, it was merged with Union Aéromaritime de Transport to form UTA French Airlines....
– later Transports Aériens Intercontinentaux
Transports Aériens Intercontinentaux
Transports Aériens Intercontinentaux was a private French airline, based at Orly Airport, Paris. In 1963, it was merged with Union Aéromaritime de Transport to form UTA French Airlines....
– (TAI) and SATI. In 1949 the latter became part of Union Aéromaritime de Transport (UAT)
Union Aéromaritime de Transport
Union Aéromaritime de Transport was a French airline. It had its head office in the 8th arrondissement of Paris.In addition, on 26 December 1958 a DC-6 of UAT crashed in Salisbury, Rhodesia ....
, a private French international airline.
Compagnie Nationale Air France was created by act of parliament
Act of Parliament
An Act of Parliament is a statute enacted as primary legislation by a national or sub-national parliament. In the Republic of Ireland the term Act of the Oireachtas is used, and in the United States the term Act of Congress is used.In Commonwealth countries, the term is used both in a narrow...
on 16 June 1948. Initially, the government held 70%. In subsequent years the French state's direct and indirect shareholdings reached almost 100%. In mid-2002 the state held 54%.
On 4 August 1948 Max Hymans
Max Hymans
Max Hymans , was a notable leftist French politician, member of the resistance, and director of Air France.-Gallery:...
was appointed president. During his 13-year tenure
Tenure
Tenure commonly refers to life tenure in a job and specifically to a senior academic's contractual right not to have his or her position terminated without just cause.-19th century:...
he would implement modernisation practices centred on the introduction of jet aircraft
Jet aircraft
A jet aircraft is an aircraft propelled by jet engines. Jet aircraft generally fly much faster than propeller-powered aircraft and at higher altitudes – as high as . At these altitudes, jet engines achieve maximum efficiency over long distances. The engines in propeller-powered aircraft...
. In 1949, the company became a co-founder of Société Internationale de Télécommunications Aéronautiques (SITA)
SITA
SITA is a multinational information technology company specialising in providing IT and telecommunication services to the air transport industry...
, an airline telecommunications services company.
Jet age reorganisation
De Havilland Comet
The de Havilland DH 106 Comet was the world's first commercial jet airliner to reach production. Developed and manufactured by de Havilland at the Hatfield, Hertfordshire, United Kingdom headquarters, it first flew in 1949 and was a landmark in aeronautical design...
series 1, the world's first jetliner
Jetliner
Jetliner are an alternative rock band from the USA. They focus on melodic piano based rock and have been compared to Queen and early Elton John, being heavily influenced by early 70s rock. Composed of Adam Paskowitz of The Flys, son of Doc Paskowitz, on piano and lead vocals, Jeff Kluesner on...
.
During the mid 1950s, it was also a major operator of the Vickers Viscount
Vickers Viscount
The Vickers Viscount was a British medium-range turboprop airliner first flown in 1948 by Vickers-Armstrongs, making it the first such aircraft to enter service in the world...
turboprop, with twelve examples entering service between May 1953 and August 1954, serving on the European routes. On 26 September 1953, the government instructed Air France to share long-distance routes with new private airlines. This was followed by the Ministry of Public Works and Transport's imposition of an accord
Contract
A contract is an agreement entered into by two parties or more with the intention of creating a legal obligation, which may have elements in writing. Contracts can be made orally. The remedy for breach of contract can be "damages" or compensation of money. In equity, the remedy can be specific...
on Air France, Aigle Azur
Aigle Azur
Société Aigle Azur Transports Aériens is an airline based in Tremblay-en-France, France, near Paris. It operates domestic scheduled passenger services and international services to Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia in North Africa as well as Portugal, Italy and Mali. It also operates charter, cargo and wet...
, TAI and UAT
Union Aéromaritime de Transport
Union Aéromaritime de Transport was a French airline. It had its head office in the 8th arrondissement of Paris.In addition, on 26 December 1958 a DC-6 of UAT crashed in Salisbury, Rhodesia ....
, under which some routes to Africa, Asia and the Pacific region were transferred to private carriers.
On 23 February 1960, the Ministry of Public Works and Transport transferred Air France's domestic monopoly to Air Inter. To compensate for the loss of its domestic network, Air France was given a stake in Air Inter. The following day, Air France was further instructed to share African routes with Air Afrique
Air Afrique
Air Afrique was a Pan-African airline, that was mainly owned by many West African countries for most of its history. It was established as the official transnational carrier for francophone West and Central Africa, because many of these countries did not have the capability to create and maintain a...
and UAT.
The airline started uninterrupted pure jet
Jet aircraft
A jet aircraft is an aircraft propelled by jet engines. Jet aircraft generally fly much faster than propeller-powered aircraft and at higher altitudes – as high as . At these altitudes, jet engines achieve maximum efficiency over long distances. The engines in propeller-powered aircraft...
operations in 1960 with the Sud Aviation Caravelle
Sud Aviation Caravelle
The Sud Aviation SE 210 Caravelle was the first short/medium-range jet airliner produced by the French Sud Aviation firm starting in 1955 . The Caravelle was one of the more successful European first generation jetliners, selling throughout Europe and even penetrating the United States market, with...
and the Boeing 707
Boeing 707
The Boeing 707 is a four-engine narrow-body commercial passenger jet airliner developed by Boeing in the early 1950s. Its name is most commonly pronounced as "Seven Oh Seven". The first airline to operate the 707 was Pan American World Airways, inaugurating the type's first commercial flight on...
. The incorporation of jet airliners into Air France's route network cut travel times in half and improved passenger comfort. Air France later became an early Boeing 747 operator, and eventually operated one of the world's largest 747 fleets.
On 1 February 1963, the government formalised division of routes between Air France and its private sector
Private sector
In economics, the private sector is that part of the economy, sometimes referred to as the citizen sector, which is run by private individuals or groups, usually as a means of enterprise for profit, and is not controlled by the state...
rivals. Air France was to withdraw services to West Africa (with the exception of Senegal
Senegal
Senegal , officially the Republic of Senegal , is a country in western Africa. It owes its name to the Sénégal River that borders it to the east and north...
), Central Africa (except Burundi
Burundi
Burundi , officially the Republic of Burundi , is a landlocked country in the Great Lakes region of Eastern Africa bordered by Rwanda to the north, Tanzania to the east and south, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west. Its capital is Bujumbura...
and Rwanda
Rwanda
Rwanda or , officially the Republic of Rwanda , is a country in central and eastern Africa with a population of approximately 11.4 million . Rwanda is located a few degrees south of the Equator, and is bordered by Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo...
), Southern Africa (including South Africa), Libya
Libya
Libya is an African country in the Maghreb region of North Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west....
in North Africa, Bahrain and Oman
Oman
Oman , officially called the Sultanate of Oman , is an Arab state in southwest Asia on the southeast coast of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by the United Arab Emirates to the northwest, Saudi Arabia to the west, and Yemen to the southwest. The coast is formed by the Arabian Sea on the...
in the Middle East, Sri Lanka (then known as Ceylon) in South Asia, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
in Southeast Asia, Australia, New Zealand as well as New Caledonia
New Caledonia
New Caledonia is a special collectivity of France located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, east of Australia and about from Metropolitan France. The archipelago, part of the Melanesia subregion, includes the main island of Grande Terre, the Loyalty Islands, the Belep archipelago, the Isle of...
and Tahiti
Tahiti
Tahiti is the largest island in the Windward group of French Polynesia, located in the archipelago of the Society Islands in the southern Pacific Ocean. It is the economic, cultural and political centre of French Polynesia. The island was formed from volcanic activity and is high and mountainous...
. These routes were allocated to the new Union des Transports Aériens (UTA), a new private airline that was the result of a merger between TAI and UAT. UTA also obtained exclusive rights between Japan, New Caledonia and New Zealand, South Africa and Réunion
Réunion
Réunion is a French island with a population of about 800,000 located in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar, about south west of Mauritius, the nearest island.Administratively, Réunion is one of the overseas departments of France...
island in the Indian Ocean, as well as Los Angeles and Tahiti.
From 1974, Air France began shifting the bulk of operations to the new Charles de Gaulle Airport north of Paris. By the early 1980s, only Corsica
Corsica
Corsica is an island in the Mediterranean Sea. It is located west of Italy, southeast of the French mainland, and north of the island of Sardinia....
, Martinique, Guadeloupe
Guadeloupe
Guadeloupe is an archipelago located in the Leeward Islands, in the Lesser Antilles, with a land area of 1,628 square kilometres and a population of 400,000. It is the first overseas region of France, consisting of a single overseas department. As with the other overseas departments, Guadeloupe...
, most services to French Guyana, Réunion, the Maghreb
Maghreb
The Maghreb is the region of Northwest Africa, west of Egypt. It includes five countries: Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, and Mauritania and the disputed territory of Western Sahara...
region, Eastern Europe (except the USSR), Southern Europe (except Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
and Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
), and one daily service to New York (JFK) remained at Orly. In 1974, Air France also became the world's first operator of the Airbus A300
Airbus A300
The Airbus A300 is a short- to medium-range widebody jet airliner. Launched in 1972 as the world's first twin-engined widebody, it was the first product of Airbus Industrie, a consortium of European aerospace companies, wholly owned today by EADS...
twin-engined widebodied plane, Airbus Industrie's first commercial airliner for which it was a launch customer.
Concorde service and rivalry
On 21 January 1976, Air France operated its inaugural supersonic transport (SST)Supersonic
Supersonic speed is a rate of travel of an object that exceeds the speed of sound . For objects traveling in dry air of a temperature of 20 °C this speed is approximately 343 m/s, 1,125 ft/s, 768 mph or 1,235 km/h. Speeds greater than five times the speed of sound are often...
service on the Paris (Charles de Gaulle) to Rio
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th...
(via Dakar
Dakar
Dakar is the capital city and largest city of Senegal. It is located on the Cap-Vert Peninsula on the Atlantic coast and is the westernmost city on the African mainland...
) route with Anglo-French BAC-Aérospatiale Concorde
Concorde
Aérospatiale-BAC Concorde was a turbojet-powered supersonic passenger airliner, a supersonic transport . It was a product of an Anglo-French government treaty, combining the manufacturing efforts of Aérospatiale and the British Aircraft Corporation...
F-BVFA. Supersonic services from Paris (CDG) to Washington Dulles International Airport
Washington Dulles International Airport
Washington Dulles International Airport is a public airport in Dulles, Virginia, 26 miles west of downtown Washington, D.C. The airport serves the Baltimore-Washington-Northern Virginia metropolitan area centered on the District of Columbia. It is named after John Foster Dulles, Secretary of...
began on 24 May 1976, also with F-BVFA. Service to New York
John F. Kennedy International Airport
John F. Kennedy International Airport is an international airport located in the borough of Queens in New York City, about southeast of Lower Manhattan. It is the busiest international air passenger gateway to the United States, handling more international traffic than any other airport in North...
(JFK) – the only remaining Concorde service until its end – commenced on 22 November 1977. Paris to New York was flown in 3 hours 23 minutes, at about twice the speed of sound
Speed of sound
The speed of sound is the distance travelled during a unit of time by a sound wave propagating through an elastic medium. In dry air at , the speed of sound is . This is , or about one kilometer in three seconds or approximately one mile in five seconds....
. Approval for flights to the United States was initially withheld due to noise protests. Eventually, services to Mexico City
Mexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
via Washington, D.C. were started. Air France became one of only two airlines – British Airways
British Airways
British Airways is the flag carrier airline of the United Kingdom, based in Waterside, near its main hub at London Heathrow Airport. British Airways is the largest airline in the UK based on fleet size, international flights and international destinations...
being the other – to regularly operate supersonic services, and continued daily transatlantic Concorde service until late May, 2003.
By 1983, Air France's golden jubilee
Golden Jubilee
A Golden Jubilee is a celebration held to mark a 50th anniversary.- In Thailand :King Bhumibol Adulyadej, the world's longest-reigning monarch, celebrated his Golden Jubilee on 9 June 1996.- In the Commonwealth Realms :...
, the workforce numbered more than 34,000, its fleet about 100 jet aircraft
Jet aircraft
A jet aircraft is an aircraft propelled by jet engines. Jet aircraft generally fly much faster than propeller-powered aircraft and at higher altitudes – as high as . At these altitudes, jet engines achieve maximum efficiency over long distances. The engines in propeller-powered aircraft...
(including 33 Boeing 747
Boeing 747
The Boeing 747 is a wide-body commercial airliner and cargo transport, often referred to by its original nickname, Jumbo Jet, or Queen of the Skies. It is among the world's most recognizable aircraft, and was the first wide-body ever produced...
s) and its 634,400 km network served 150 destinations in 73 countries. This made Air France the fourth-largest scheduled passenger airline in the world, as well as the second-largest scheduled freight carrier. Air France also codeshared with regional French airlines, TAT being the most prominent. TAT would later operate several regional international routes on behalf of Air France. In 1983 Air France began passenger flights to South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
, being the first European airline to do so.
In 1986 the government relaxed its policy of dividing traffic rights for scheduled services between Air France, Air Inter and UTA, without route overlaps between them. The decision opened some of Air France's most lucrative routes on which it had enjoyed a government-sanctioned monopoly since 1963 and which were within its exclusive sphere of influence, to rival airlines, notably UTA. The changes enabled UTA to launch scheduled services to new destinations within Air France's sphere, in competition with that airline.
Paris-San Francisco became the first route UTA served in competition with Air France non-stop from Paris. Air France responded by extending some non-stop Paris-Los Angeles services to Papeete
Papeete
-Sights:* Interactive Google map of Papeete, to discover the 30 major tourist attractions in Papeete downtown.*The waterfront esplanade*Bougainville Park -Sights:* Interactive Google map of Papeete, to discover the 30 major tourist attractions in Papeete downtown.*The waterfront...
, Tahiti, which competed with UTA on Los Angeles-Papeete. UTA's ability to secure traffic rights outside its traditional sphere in competition with Air France was the result of a campaign to lobby
Lobbying
Lobbying is the act of attempting to influence decisions made by officials in the government, most often legislators or members of regulatory agencies. Lobbying is done by various people or groups, from private-sector individuals or corporations, fellow legislators or government officials, or...
the government to enable it to grow faster, becoming more dynamic and more profitable
Profit (accounting)
In accounting, profit can be considered to be the difference between the purchase price and the costs of bringing to market whatever it is that is accounted as an enterprise in terms of the component costs of delivered goods and/or services and any operating or other expenses.-Definition:There are...
. This infuriated Air France.
In 1987 Air France together with Lufthansa
Lufthansa
Deutsche Lufthansa AG is the flag carrier of Germany and the largest airline in Europe in terms of overall passengers carried. The name of the company is derived from Luft , and Hansa .The airline is the world's fourth-largest airline in terms of overall passengers carried, operating...
, Iberia and SAS
SAS Group
Scandinavian Airlines System Aktiebolag , trading as SAS Group and SAS AB, is a holding company based in Solna, Sweden. It is the parent company of the airlines Scandinavian Airlines, Blue1 and Widerøe, and the aviation services companies SAS Business Opportunities, SAS Cargo Group, SAS Ground...
founded Amadeus
Amadeus IT Group
Amadeus IT Group is a transaction processor for the global travel and tourism industry. The company is structured around two key related areas - its global distribution system and its IT Solutions business area...
, an IT company (also known as a GDS
Computer reservations system
A computer reservations system is a computerized system used to store and retrieve information and conduct transactions related to air travel. Originally designed and operated by airlines, CRSes were later extended for the use of travel agencies...
) that would enable travel agencies to sell the founders and other airlines' products from a single system.
In 1988, Air France was a launch customer for the fly-by-wire (FBW)
Fly-by-wire
Fly-by-wire is a system that replaces the conventional manual flight controls of an aircraft with an electronic interface. The movements of flight controls are converted to electronic signals transmitted by wires , and flight control computers determine how to move the actuators at each control...
A320 narrowbody twin, along with Air Inter and British Caledonian
British Caledonian
British Caledonian was a private, British independentindependent from government-owned corporations airline, operating out of Gatwick Airport in the 1970s and 1980s...
. It became the first airline to take delivery of the A320
Airbus A320 family
The Airbus A320 family is a family of short- to medium-range, narrow-body, commercial passenger jet airliners manufactured by Airbus Industrie.Airbus was originally a consortium of European aerospace companies, and is now fully owned by EADS. Airbus's name has been Airbus SAS since 2001...
in March 1988, and along with Air Inter became the first airlines to introduce Airbus A320 service on short-haul routes.
Acquisitions and privatisation
On 12 January 1990, the operations of government-owned Air France, semi-public Air Inter and wholly private Union des Transports Aériens (UTA) were merged into an enlarged Air France. Air France's acquisition of UTA and Air Inter was part of an early 1990s government plan to create a unified, national air carrier with the economies of scaleEconomies of scale
Economies of scale, in microeconomics, refers to the cost advantages that an enterprise obtains due to expansion. There are factors that cause a producer’s average cost per unit to fall as the scale of output is increased. "Economies of scale" is a long run concept and refers to reductions in unit...
and global reach to counter potential threats from the liberalisation of the EU's internal air transport market.
On 25 July 1994, a new holding company, Groupe Air France, was set up by decree. Groupe Air France became operational on 1 September 1994. It acquired the Air France group's majority shareholdings in Air France and Air Inter (subsequently renamed Air France Europe). On 31 August 1994, Stephen Wolf
Stephen Wolf
Stephen M. Wolf assumed his current position as chairman of R. R. Donnelley & Sons Company in March 2004. He has been the managing partner of Alpilles, LLC, since April 1, 2003. In April 2009 he became chairman of Trilantic Capital Partners which was previously Lehman Brothers Merchant Banking....
, a former United Airlines
United Airlines
United Air Lines, Inc., is the world's largest airline with 86,852 employees United Air Lines, Inc., is the world's largest airline with 86,852 employees United Air Lines, Inc., is the world's largest airline with 86,852 employees (which includes the entire holding company United Continental...
CEO, was appointed adviser to the Air France group's chairman Christian Blanc
Christian Blanc
Christian Blanc is a French politician.He was a member of the Saint-Simon Foundation think-tank. Blanc was elected to the National Assembly to represent the third district of Yvelines on 15 December 2002, replacing Anne-Marie Idrac, who had stood down to on nomination to become president of the RATP...
. Wolf was credited with the introduction of Air France's hub and spoke operation at Paris Charles de Gaulle. (Wolf resigned in 1996 to take over as CEO at US Airways
US Airways
US Airways, Inc. is a major airline based in the U.S. city of Tempe, Arizona. The airline is an operating unit of US Airways Group and is the sixth largest airline by traffic and eighth largest by market value in the country....
.)
In 1997, Air France Europe was absorbed into Air France. On 19 February 1999, French Prime Minister Lionel Jospin
Lionel Jospin
Lionel Jospin is a French politician, who served as Prime Minister of France from 1997 to 2002.Jospin was the Socialist Party candidate for President of France in the elections of 1995 and 2002. He was narrowly defeated in the final runoff election by Jacques Chirac in 1995...
's Plural Left government approved the Air France's partial privatisation. Its shares
Ownership equity
In accounting and finance, equity is the residual claim or interest of the most junior class of investors in assets, after all liabilities are paid. If liability exceeds assets, negative equity exists...
were listed on the Paris stock exchange
Stock exchange
A stock exchange is an entity that provides services for stock brokers and traders to trade stocks, bonds, and other securities. Stock exchanges also provide facilities for issue and redemption of securities and other financial instruments, and capital events including the payment of income and...
on 22 February 1999. In June 1999, Air France and Delta Air Lines
Delta Air Lines
Delta Air Lines, Inc. is a major airline based in the United States and headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. The airline operates an extensive domestic and international network serving all continents except Antarctica. Delta and its subsidiaries operate over 4,000 flights every day...
formed a bilateral
Bilateralism
Bilateralism consists of the political, economic, or cultural relations between two sovereign states. For example, free trade agreements signed by two states are examples of bilateral treaties. It is in contrast to unilateralism or multilateralism, which refers to the conduct of diplomacy by a...
transatlantic
Transatlantic flight
Transatlantic flight is the flight of an aircraft across the Atlantic Ocean. A transatlantic flight may proceed east-to-west, originating in Europe or Africa and terminating in North America or South America, or it may go in the reverse direction, west-to-east...
partnership
Articles of Partnership
Articles of Partnership is a voluntary contract between two or among more than two persons to place their capital, labor, and skills, and corporation in business with the understanding that there will be a sharing of the profits and losses between/among partners...
. On 22 June 2000, this expanded into the SkyTeam
SkyTeam
SkyTeam, branded as SKYTEAM, is an airline alliance with its centralised management team, SkyTeam Central, based at the World Trade Center Schiphol Airport on the grounds of Amsterdam Airport Schiphol in Haarlemmermeer, Netherlands...
global airline alliance
Airline alliance
An airline alliance is an agreement between two or more airlines to cooperate on a substantial level. The three largest passenger alliances are the Star Alliance, SkyTeam and Oneworld. Alliances also form between cargo airlines, such as that of WOW Alliance, SkyTeam Cargo and ANA/UPS Alliance...
.
Air France-KLM merger
On 30 September 2003, Air France and NetherlandsNetherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
-based KLM Royal Dutch Airlines announced the merger of the two airlines, the new company to be known as Air France-KLM. The merger became reality on 5 May 2004. At that point former Air France shareholders owned 81% of the new firm (44% owned by the French state, 37% by private shareholders), former KLM shareholders the rest. The decision of the Jean-Pierre Raffarin
Jean-Pierre Raffarin
Jean-Pierre Raffarin is a French conservative politician and senator for Vienne.Jean-Pierre Raffarin served as the Prime Minister of France from 6 May 2002 to 31 May 2005, resigning after France's rejection of the referendum on the European Union draft constitution. However, after Raffarin...
government to reduce the French state's shareholding in the former Air France group from 54.4% to 44% of the newly created Air France-KLM Group effectively privatised the new airline. In December 2004 the state sold 18.4% of its equity in Air France-KLM. The state's shareholding in Air France-KLM subsequently fell to just under 20%.
Revenue
In business, revenue is income that a company receives from its normal business activities, usually from the sale of goods and services to customers. In many countries, such as the United Kingdom, revenue is referred to as turnover....
s, and third-largest (largest in Europe) in passenger kilometres. Although owned by a single company, Air France and KLM continued to fly under their own brand names. Air France-KLM remained part of the SkyTeam alliance, which then included Aeroflot
Aeroflot
OJSC AeroflotRussian Airlines , commonly known as Aeroflot , is the flag carrier and largest airline of the Russian Federation, based on passengers carried per year...
, Delta Air Lines
Delta Air Lines
Delta Air Lines, Inc. is a major airline based in the United States and headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. The airline operates an extensive domestic and international network serving all continents except Antarctica. Delta and its subsidiaries operate over 4,000 flights every day...
, Aeroméxico
Aeroméxico
Airways of Mexico, SA de CV , operating as Aeroméxico, is the flag carrier airline of Mexico based in Colonia Cuauhtémoc, Cuauhtémoc, Mexico City. It operates scheduled domestic and international services to North America, South America, Central America and the Caribbean, Europe, and Asia...
, Korean Air
Korean Air
Korean Air Lines Co., Ltd. , operating as Korean Air, is both the flag carrier and the largest airline of South Korea, with global headquarters located in Seoul, South Korea. Korean Air's international passenger division and related subsidiary cargo division together serve 130 cities in 45...
, Czech Airlines
Czech Airlines
Czech Airlines j.s.c. , trading as Czech Airlines , is the national airline of the Czech Republic and temporary in Slovakia with its head office on the grounds of Ruzyně Airport in Ruzyně, Prague...
, Alitalia
Alitalia
Alitalia - Linee Aeree Italiane S.p.A. , in its later stages known as Alitalia - Linee Aeree Italiane S.p.A. in Extraordinary Administration, was the former Italian flag carrier...
, Northwest Airlines
Northwest Airlines
Northwest Airlines, Inc. was a major United States airline founded in 1926 and absorbed into Delta Air Lines by a merger approved on October 29, 2008, making Delta the largest airline in the world...
, China Southern Airlines
China Southern Airlines
China Southern Airlines is an airline headquartered in Baiyun District, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, People's Republic of China. It is the world's sixth-largest airline measured by passengers carried, and Asia's largest airline in terms of both fleet size and passengers carried...
, Air Europa and Continental Airlines
Continental Airlines
Continental Airlines was a major American airline now merged with United Airlines. On May 3, 2010, Continental Airlines, Inc. and UAL, Inc. announced a merger via a stock swap, and on October 1, 2010, the merger closed and UAL changed its name to United Continental Holdings, Inc...
. As of March 2004, Air France employed 71,654 people. As of March 2007, the airline employed 102,422 personnel.
According to Air France-KLM, the company's principal activities became:
- Passenger transport: first European airline with 25.5% of market share (November 2004) and largest airline in the world in terms of operating revenue.
- Freight transport: largest company for international freight transportation without integration. With integration, Air France-KLM is third worldwide behind FedEx Express and UPS AirlinesUPS AirlinesUPS Airlines is an American cargo airline owned by United Parcel Service Inc. . The company is headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky. Its home airport is located at Louisville International Airport...
. - Airplane maintenance and repair: largest multi-services operator.
Open skies venture
On 17 October 2007, the creation of a profit and revenue-sharing transatlantic joint venture between Air France-KLM and Delta Air Lines was announced during a press conference at Air France-KLM's headquarters. The venture became effective on 29 March 2008. It aimed to exploit transatlantic opportunities to capture a major share of long-haul business traffic from London Heathrow AirportLondon Heathrow Airport
London Heathrow Airport or Heathrow , in the London Borough of Hillingdon, is the busiest airport in the United Kingdom and the third busiest airport in the world in terms of total passenger traffic, handling more international passengers than any other airport around the globe...
, which opened to unrestricted competition on that day as a result of the "Open Skies
Open skies
Open skies is an international policy concept which calls for the liberalization of rules and regulations on international aviation industry most specially commercial aviation - opening a free market for the airline industry...
" pact
Treaty
A treaty is an express agreement under international law entered into by actors in international law, namely sovereign states and international organizations. A treaty may also be known as an agreement, protocol, covenant, convention or exchange of letters, among other terms...
between the EU and USA. It was envisaged that Air France and Delta
Delta Air Lines
Delta Air Lines, Inc. is a major airline based in the United States and headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. The airline operates an extensive domestic and international network serving all continents except Antarctica. Delta and its subsidiaries operate over 4,000 flights every day...
, as well as fellow SkyTeam members Continental
Continental Airlines
Continental Airlines was a major American airline now merged with United Airlines. On May 3, 2010, Continental Airlines, Inc. and UAL, Inc. announced a merger via a stock swap, and on October 1, 2010, the merger closed and UAL changed its name to United Continental Holdings, Inc...
and Northwest
Northwest Airlines
Northwest Airlines, Inc. was a major United States airline founded in 1926 and absorbed into Delta Air Lines by a merger approved on October 29, 2008, making Delta the largest airline in the world...
, would begin nine daily round trips between London-Heathrow and destinations in the USA, including a daily London (Heathrow) to Los Angeles service by Air France. Once the new Air France-Delta venture received antitrust immunity, it was to be extended to the other two transatlantic SkyTeam partners, enabling all four partners to codeshare flights as well as to share revenue and profit.
The new transatlantic joint venture marks the Air France-KLM Group's second major expansion in the London market, following the launch of CityJet
Cityjet
CityJet Limited is an Irish regional airline headquartered in the Swords Business Campus in Swords, County Dublin, Ireland. It operates at London City Airport, and flies franchise services on behalf of its parent company Air France from Paris Charles de Gaulle airport. Since the take over of VLM...
-operated short-haul services from London City Airport
London City Airport
London City Airport is a single-runway airport. It principally serves the financial district of London and is located on a former Docklands site, east of the City of London, opposite the London Regatta Centre, in the London Borough of Newham in east London. It was developed by the engineering...
that have been aimed at business travellers in the City
City of London
The City of London is a small area within Greater London, England. It is the historic core of London around which the modern conurbation grew and has held city status since time immemorial. The City’s boundaries have remained almost unchanged since the Middle Ages, and it is now only a tiny part of...
's financial services
Financial services
Financial services refer to services provided by the finance industry. The finance industry encompasses a broad range of organizations that deal with the management of money. Among these organizations are credit unions, banks, credit card companies, insurance companies, consumer finance companies,...
industry. However, the daily London (Heathrow) to Los Angeles service was not as successful as hoped, and was discontinued in November 2008.
Recent developments
On 13 January 2009, Air France agreed to enter into recently privatised AlitaliaAlitalia
Alitalia - Linee Aeree Italiane S.p.A. , in its later stages known as Alitalia - Linee Aeree Italiane S.p.A. in Extraordinary Administration, was the former Italian flag carrier...
's capital share with a 25% stake. This capital investment is coupled with a co-operation agreement on an industrial basis.
In 2010 the company opened its smartphone version of its corporate website.
Head office
Air France's head office is located in the Roissypôle complex on the grounds of Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport and in the commune of Tremblay-en-FranceTremblay-en-France
Tremblay-en-France is a commune in the northeastern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the center of Paris.More than one-quarter of Charles de Gaulle Airport lies on the territory of the commune of Tremblay-en-France, in particular terminals 2A, 2B, 2C, and 2D...
, Seine-Saint-Denis, near the city of Paris. Wil S. Hylton of The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
described the facility as "a huge white box that squats near the runways at Charles de Gaulle Airport."
The 130000 sqm complex was completed in December 1995. The French firm Groupement d'Etudes et de Méthodes d'Ordonnancement (GEMO) managed the project. The architect was Valode & Pistre
Valode & Pistre
Valode & Pistre is a French architecture firm operated by Denis Valode and Jean Pistre. It has its head office in the 7th arrondissement of Paris.-Projects:* T1 Tower* Tour Generali* Air France head office* Air France Cité PN...
and the design consultants were Sechaud-Boyssut and Trouvin. The project cost 137,000,000 euros (less than 700 million francs
French franc
The franc was a currency of France. Along with the Spanish peseta, it was also a de facto currency used in Andorra . Between 1360 and 1641, it was the name of coins worth 1 livre tournois and it remained in common parlance as a term for this amount of money...
). The runways of the airport are visible from the building. The Air France Operations Control Centre (OCC, French: Centre de Contrôle des Opérations, CCO), which coordinates Air France flights worldwide, is situated at the AF head office.
Gare Montparnasse
Paris Montparnasse is one of the six large terminus railway stations of Paris, located in the Montparnasse area in the XIVe arrondissement. The station was opened in 1840, and rebuilt completely in 1969...
rail station in the Montparnasse
Montparnasse
Montparnasse is an area of Paris, France, on the left bank of the river Seine, centred at the crossroads of the Boulevard du Montparnasse and the Rue de Rennes, between the Rue de Rennes and boulevard Raspail...
area and the 15th arrondissement of Paris. By 1991 two bids for the purchase of the Square Max Hymans building had been made. By 1992 the complex was sold to MGEN for 1.6 billion francs
French franc
The franc was a currency of France. Along with the Spanish peseta, it was also a de facto currency used in Andorra . Between 1360 and 1641, it was the name of coins worth 1 livre tournois and it remained in common parlance as a term for this amount of money...
. By that year Air France had planned to move its head office to Roissypôle, taking 50000 sqm of space inside the hotel, office, and shopping complex on the grounds of Charles de Gaulle Airport. After Air France moved to Tremblay-en-France, the ownership of the former head office complex was transferred.
Foreign offices
Air France's United States offices are in the 125 West 55th Street125 West 55th Street
125 West 55th Street, also known as Avenue of the Americas Plaza, is a 23-story, office building located on 55th Street between the Avenue of the Americas and Seventh Avenue in Midtown Manhattan, New York City...
building in Midtown Manhattan
Midtown Manhattan
Midtown Manhattan, or simply Midtown, is an area of Manhattan, New York City home to world-famous commercial zones such as Rockefeller Center, Broadway, and Times Square...
, New York City. Air France first signed a lease to occupy the building in 1991. The site also formerly housed the New York City city ticket office for Air France.
Air France-KLM's head office for United Kingdom and Ireland operations, which includes facilities for Air France and KLM, is located in Plesman House in Hatton Cross. The facility's inauguration was on 6 July 2006. Air France moved the office from Hounslow
Hounslow
Hounslow is the principal town in the London Borough of Hounslow. It is a suburban development situated 10.6 miles west south-west of Charing Cross. It forms a post town in the TW postcode area.-Etymology:...
to Hatton.
Crew base
Air France Cité PN, located at Charles de Gaulle Airport, acts as the airline's crew base. The building, developed by Valode & PistreValode & Pistre
Valode & Pistre is a French architecture firm operated by Denis Valode and Jean Pistre. It has its head office in the 7th arrondissement of Paris.-Projects:* T1 Tower* Tour Generali* Air France head office* Air France Cité PN...
, opened in February 2006. The first phase consisted of 33400 sqm of space and 4,300 parking spaces. The building is connected to the Air France head office.
Vaccination centre
Air France operates the Air France Vaccinations Centre in the 7th arrondissement of Paris. The centre distributes vaccines for international travel. Since 2001 the centre was the only French vaccination centre certified International Organization for StandardizationInternational Organization for Standardization
The International Organization for Standardization , widely known as ISO, is an international standard-setting body composed of representatives from various national standards organizations. Founded on February 23, 1947, the organization promulgates worldwide proprietary, industrial and commercial...
(ISO) 9001. In 2005 the centre moved from the Aérogare des Invalides to its current location.
Aérogare des Invalides
The Aérogare des Invalides in the 7th arrondissement of Paris houses the Agence Air France Invalides and the Air France Museum. Until 2005 the building hosted the Air France Vaccinations Centre. On 28 August 1959 Air France opened a ticket and information agency in the former air terminal in Invalides, targeting transit passengers and customers from offices and companies in the Invalides area.Subsidiaries and franchises
In partnership with Dutch affiliate Transavia, Air France has launched Transavia.com FranceTransavia.com France
Transavia France S.A.S., also known as Transavia.com France or Transavia France and trading as transavia.com, is a French based low-cost airline operating as an independent part of the Air France-KLM group. Its main base is at Paris-Orly airport. Transavia.com chiefly operates scheduled and charter...
, a new low-cost subsidiary based at Orly airport. Operations began in May 2007 with flights to leisure destinations in the Mediterranean region and North Africa. It is operating four "Next Generation" Boeing 737–800 aircraft. Transavia has a 40% stake, with Air France holding the rest. Airlinair
Airlinair
Société Airlinair is an airline based in Rungis, France, operating scheduled regional flights , and aircraft lease services. The airline has set up bases at Paris-Orly Airport and Lyon-Saint Exupéry Airport...
, Brit Air
Brit Air
Brit Air is a regional airline based on the grounds of Morlaix Airport at Ploujean, Morlaix, Brittany, France, operating scheduled services as an Air France franchise out of Lyon-Saint Exupéry Airport, Paris-Orly Airport and Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport.-History:The airline was established in...
, CityJet
Cityjet
CityJet Limited is an Irish regional airline headquartered in the Swords Business Campus in Swords, County Dublin, Ireland. It operates at London City Airport, and flies franchise services on behalf of its parent company Air France from Paris Charles de Gaulle airport. Since the take over of VLM...
, CCM Airlines
CCM Airlines
Compagnie Aérienne Corse Méditerranée S.A.E.M., trading as Air Corsica , is a regional airline with its head office on the grounds of Ajaccio – Campo dell'Oro Airport in Ajaccio, Corsica, France. It operates passenger services from Corsica to metropolitan France...
and Régional all operate flights on behalf of Air France, either as subsidiaries or as franchisees.
- Air France Consulting
- Quali-audit
- BlueLink
- Brit AirBrit AirBrit Air is a regional airline based on the grounds of Morlaix Airport at Ploujean, Morlaix, Brittany, France, operating scheduled services as an Air France franchise out of Lyon-Saint Exupéry Airport, Paris-Orly Airport and Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport.-History:The airline was established in...
- CityJetCityjetCityJet Limited is an Irish regional airline headquartered in the Swords Business Campus in Swords, County Dublin, Ireland. It operates at London City Airport, and flies franchise services on behalf of its parent company Air France from Paris Charles de Gaulle airport. Since the take over of VLM...
- Société de construction et de réparation de matériel aéronautique (CRMA)
- Régional Compagnie Aérienne Européenne
- ServairServairServair is a subsidiary of the French airline Air France, specialised in airline catering. Servair has its head office in the Continental Square complex in Roissypôle, Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport and in Tremblay-en-France....
- Sodexi
- Transavia.com FranceTransavia.com FranceTransavia France S.A.S., also known as Transavia.com France or Transavia France and trading as transavia.com, is a French based low-cost airline operating as an independent part of the Air France-KLM group. Its main base is at Paris-Orly airport. Transavia.com chiefly operates scheduled and charter...
Outsourcing
In 2010 Air France migrated from an internally managed Passenger service systemPassenger service system
A PSS or Passenger Service Systems, is the name given to a series of critical systems used by airlines. The PSS usually comprises an Airline Reservation System, an Airline Inventory System and a Departure Control System .- Overview :...
(Alpha3) that manages reservation, inventory and pricing to an external system (Altéa) managed by Amadeus
Amadeus IT Group
Amadeus IT Group is a transaction processor for the global travel and tourism industry. The company is structured around two key related areas - its global distribution system and its IT Solutions business area...
. In rail ventures, Air France and Veolia are looking into jointly operating high-speed rail
High-speed rail
High-speed rail is a type of passenger rail transport that operates significantly faster than the normal speed of rail traffic. Specific definitions by the European Union include for upgraded track and or faster for new track, whilst in the United States, the U.S...
services in Europe. Routes have become available to operators in accordance with European rail liberalisation on 1 January 2010.
Livery
Marketing
The new official song played before and after Air France flights (during boarding and after landing) is 'The World Can Be Yours' by TelepopmusikTélépopmusik
Télépopmusik is a French electronic music trio, composed of Fabrice Dumont , Stephan Haeri , and Christophe Hetier....
. Air France has used different popular music groups for its marketing and on-board ambience, ranging from The Chemical Brothers
The Chemical Brothers
The Chemical Brothers are a British electronic music duo comprising Tom Rowlands and Ed Simons. Originating in Manchester in 1991, along with The Prodigy, Fatboy Slim, The Crystal Method, and fellow acts, they were pioneers at bringing the big beat genre to the forefront of pop culture.- Background...
in 1999 to Telepopmusik
Télépopmusik
Télépopmusik is a French electronic music trio, composed of Fabrice Dumont , Stephan Haeri , and Christophe Hetier....
in 2010.
Uniforms
Air France uniforms denote the ranks for the flight attendants. Two silver sleeve stripes denote a Chief Purser. One silver sleeve stripe denote a Purser. Flight attendants do not have any sleeve stripes. The female cabin crew uniforms feature the stripes on the breast pocket rather than the sleeve for their male counterparts. Air France's current uniforms were created by French fashion designer Christian LacroixChristian Lacroix
Christian Marie Marc Lacroix is a French fashion designer. The name may also refer to the company he founded.-Early life:Lacroix was born in Arles, Bouches-du-Rhône in southern France. At a young age he began sketching historical costumes and fashions. Lacroix graduated from high school in 1969...
.
Logo
Upon its formation, Air France adopted the seahorseSeahorse
Seahorses compose the fish genus Hippocampus within the family Syngnathidae, in order Syngnathiformes. Syngnathidae also includes the pipefishes. "Hippocampus" comes from the Ancient Greek hippos meaning "horse" and kampos meaning “sea monster”.There are nearly 50 species of seahorse...
logo of its predecessor Air Orient, known as the hippocampe ailé (sometimes derisively called "la crevette" – or shrimp – by its employees), as its insignia. Prior to the Air France-KLM merger, the hippocampe ailé was used on the nose section of aircraft next to the Groupe Air France title; after the merger, the Air France-KLM logo was substituted at the nose area, and the hippocampe ailé was relocated to engine nacelles. The acronym "AF" has also featured prominently on the airline's flag and its signage. On 7 January 2008, Air France officially changed its logo to a red stripe.
Destinations
Air France is a full service global airline and flies to 32 domestic destinations and 155 international destinations in 91 countries (including Overseas departments and territories of FranceOverseas departments and territories of France
The French Overseas Departments and Territories consist broadly of French-administered territories outside of the European continent. These territories have varying legal status and different levels of autonomy, although all have representation in the Parliament of France , and consequently the...
) across 6 major continents. This includes Air France Cargo services and those destinations served by franchisees Airlinair
Airlinair
Société Airlinair is an airline based in Rungis, France, operating scheduled regional flights , and aircraft lease services. The airline has set up bases at Paris-Orly Airport and Lyon-Saint Exupéry Airport...
, Brit Air
Brit Air
Brit Air is a regional airline based on the grounds of Morlaix Airport at Ploujean, Morlaix, Brittany, France, operating scheduled services as an Air France franchise out of Lyon-Saint Exupéry Airport, Paris-Orly Airport and Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport.-History:The airline was established in...
, CityJet
Cityjet
CityJet Limited is an Irish regional airline headquartered in the Swords Business Campus in Swords, County Dublin, Ireland. It operates at London City Airport, and flies franchise services on behalf of its parent company Air France from Paris Charles de Gaulle airport. Since the take over of VLM...
, CCM Airlines
CCM Airlines
Compagnie Aérienne Corse Méditerranée S.A.E.M., trading as Air Corsica , is a regional airline with its head office on the grounds of Ajaccio – Campo dell'Oro Airport in Ajaccio, Corsica, France. It operates passenger services from Corsica to metropolitan France...
and Régional.
Most of Air France's international flights operate from Paris-Roissy Charles de Gaulle airport. Air France also has a strong presence at Paris-Orly and Lyon-Saint-Exupéry airports. As Air France becomes more a strategic partner with Delta Air Lines through the SkyTeam alliance and through a substantial joint venture, new routes and code-share agreements are developing rapidly.
Codeshare agreements
In addition to its Brit AirBrit Air
Brit Air is a regional airline based on the grounds of Morlaix Airport at Ploujean, Morlaix, Brittany, France, operating scheduled services as an Air France franchise out of Lyon-Saint Exupéry Airport, Paris-Orly Airport and Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport.-History:The airline was established in...
, CityJet
Cityjet
CityJet Limited is an Irish regional airline headquartered in the Swords Business Campus in Swords, County Dublin, Ireland. It operates at London City Airport, and flies franchise services on behalf of its parent company Air France from Paris Charles de Gaulle airport. Since the take over of VLM...
and Régional subsidiaries, and its SkyTeam
SkyTeam
SkyTeam, branded as SKYTEAM, is an airline alliance with its centralised management team, SkyTeam Central, based at the World Trade Center Schiphol Airport on the grounds of Amsterdam Airport Schiphol in Haarlemmermeer, Netherlands...
alliance partnership, Air France offers frequent flyer partnerships with approximately two-dozen airlines (as of March 2011).
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Luxair Luxair S.A., Société Luxembourgeoise de Navigation Aérienne, operating as Luxair, is the flag carrier airline of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. It operates scheduled services to 50 destinations in Europe, North Africa, the Mediterranean and Middle East, plus charter and seasonal summer services.... Malév Hungarian Airlines Malév Hungarian Airlines is the flag carrier and principal airline of Hungary. It has its head office in the Lurdy House in Budapest, with its main operations at Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport. From there, the airline flies to 50 cities in 34 countries worldwide using a fleet of 22... (Oneworld) Middle East Airlines Middle East Airlines – Air Liban S.A.L. , more commonly known as Middle East Airlines , is the national flag-carrier airline of Lebanon, with its head office in Beirut, near Beirut Rafic Hariri International Airport... (future SkyTeam SkyTeam SkyTeam, branded as SKYTEAM, is an airline alliance with its centralised management team, SkyTeam Central, based at the World Trade Center Schiphol Airport on the grounds of Amsterdam Airport Schiphol in Haarlemmermeer, Netherlands... member) Qantas Qantas Airways Limited is the flag carrier of Australia. The name was originally "QANTAS", an initialism for "Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services". Nicknamed "The Flying Kangaroo", the airline is based in Sydney, with its main hub at Sydney Airport... (Oneworld) Rossiya (airline) Rossiya Airlines OJSC , operating as Rossiya — Russian Airlines is a secondary national airline with its head office in Saint Petersburg, Russia, resulting from the 2006 merger of the Moscow-based company of the same name and Saint Petersburg-based Pulkovo Aviation Enterprise... Saudi Arabian Airlines Saudi Arabian Airlines is the flag carrier airline of Saudi Arabia, based in Jeddah. It operates domestic and international scheduled flights to over 90 destinations in the Middle East, Africa, Asia, Europe and North America... (future SkyTeam SkyTeam SkyTeam, branded as SKYTEAM, is an airline alliance with its centralised management team, SkyTeam Central, based at the World Trade Center Schiphol Airport on the grounds of Amsterdam Airport Schiphol in Haarlemmermeer, Netherlands... member) Ukraine International Airlines CJSC Ukraine International Airlines , Aviyakompaniya Mizhnarodni Avialiniyi Ukrayiny) is one of the flag carriers of Ukraine, based in Kiev. It operates scheduled domestic and international passenger and cargo services to cities in western Europe... Vietnam Airlines Vietnam Airlines Company Limited, trading as Vietnam Airlines , is the national flag carrier of Vietnam. Founded in 1956 under the name Vietnam Civil Aviation, the airline was established as a state enterprise in April 1989. Vietnam Airlines is headquartered in Long Bien, Hanoi, with hubs at Noi... (SkyTeam SkyTeam SkyTeam, branded as SKYTEAM, is an airline alliance with its centralised management team, SkyTeam Central, based at the World Trade Center Schiphol Airport on the grounds of Amsterdam Airport Schiphol in Haarlemmermeer, Netherlands... ) WestJet WestJet Airlines Ltd. is a Canadian low-cost carrier that provides scheduled and charter air service to 71 destinations in Canada, the United States, Mexico and the Caribbean. Founded in 1996, WestJet is currently the second largest Canadian air carrier, behind Air Canada, operating an average of... |
Fleet
The Air France fleet consists of the following passenger aircraft (as of November 2011). The Boeing customer code for Air France is -x28. (e.g. A 747–400 that was manufactured for Air France is a 747–428)Orders
- On 24 May 2007, Air France announced it was planning to phase out its 747-400 aircraft by 2010, and placed an order for an additional 13 Boeing 777-300ERs and five Boeing 777F units. The airline also converted options for two more A380-800s into firm orders. This will bring the total of these aircraft for Air France to 33 Boeing 777-300ERs, 10 Boeing 777Fs, and 12 A380-800.
- On 22 February 2005 Air France ordered a further four Boeing 777-300ERs, adding to 10 previously ordered (four delivered). The airline had previously ordered 18 Boeing 777-200ERs.
- On 20 May 2005 Air France signed an agreement with BoeingBoeingThe Boeing Company is an American multinational aerospace and defense corporation, founded in 1916 by William E. Boeing in Seattle, Washington. Boeing has expanded over the years, merging with McDonnell Douglas in 1997. Boeing Corporate headquarters has been in Chicago, Illinois since 2001...
to have three of its former Boeing 747–400 Combi aircraft – currently operated in all-passenger configuration – converted to the Boeing 747-400SF Special Freighter model. The modified aircraft will accelerate the phasing-out of the remaining, aging Boeing 747-200F freighters. - Air France has begun the process of removing the Boeing 747-400s from its fleet, in favour of the Boeing 777-300ER. A letter of intent has been signed for 6 747s to be purchased and converted to freighters and it hopes to have completely phased out all 747s by 2013.
- On 23 May 2005 Air France agreed to buy five 777 FreightersBoeing 777The Boeing 777 is a long-range, wide-body twin-engine jet airliner manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. It is the world's largest twinjet and is commonly referred to as the "Triple Seven". The aircraft has seating for over 300 passengers and has a range from , depending on model...
(with three further options), making it the launch customer of the 777 Freighter. Air France took delivery of its first two 777 Freighters during February 2009. Two of the five were later sold to FedEx Express before being delivered.
Airbus A380
Air France signed as a launch customer for the Airbus A380-800 "superjumbo" in 2001. Air France had ordered 12 Airbus A380-800 aircraft, with options on a further two.The first A380 was delivered on 30 October 2009, and the Paris to New York route was used as the first route.
Following delivery of the second A380, Air France started using it on the Paris to Johannesburg route from the 17 February 2010. With delivery of the third A380 in April 2010, they increased the frequency of the Johannesburg route to daily. Additionally, between 12 June and 30 August 2010, the carrier scheduled flights between Paris and London using the A380 on Saturdays, Sundays, Mondays, and Fridays in July only, to avoid an 18-hour layover in Paris for the aircraft used on the Johannesburg route. This route performed very well, with an average load factor of 96%. The fourth A380 has been delivered in August 2010, and has been used to begin A380 flights to Tokyo, which started on 1 September 2010. As of 22 April 2011, Air France offers daily service aboard the A380 to Montreal. Air France also launched the A380 on services to Washington D.C. in summer 2011. Air France was the first airline in Europe to be operating the A380 with Lufthansa following in June 2010. Air France will also launch the A380 to Dubai
Dubai
Dubai is a city and emirate in the United Arab Emirates . The emirate is located south of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula and has the largest population with the second-largest land territory by area of all the emirates, after Abu Dhabi...
on 5 December 2011 and to Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
on 28 May 2012.
Anniversary jet
On 14 November 2008, Air France released the first picture of an Airbus A320 with registration F-GFKJ that has been repainted in the full 1946 paint scheme to celebrate the airline's 75 years anniversary. This heritage aircraftHeritage aircraft
Heritage aircraft is a term applied to both old aircraft from preceding generations with correct period aircraft livery and currently in-service aircraft painted in a historic livery ....
was planned to fly under the special colours until early 2010. As of August 2011, the heritage aircraft was still in service.
Fleet history
Over the years, Air France has operated the following aircraft types:EWLINE
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EWLINE
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Concorde
The five Air France Concordes were retired on 31 May 2003, as a result of insufficient demand following the 25 July 2000 crash of AF Concorde F-BTSCAir France Flight 4590
Air France Flight 4590 was a Concorde flight operated by Air France which was scheduled to run from Charles de Gaulle International Airport near Paris, to John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City. On 2000, it crashed in Gonesse, France. All one hundred passengers and nine crew...
, at Gonesse (near Charles de Gaulle International Airport), as well as higher fuel and maintenance costs. British Airways flew its last Concorde service on 24 October 2003. Concorde F-BVFA was transferred to the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center
Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center
The Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center is the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum 's annex at Washington Dulles International Airport in the Chantilly area of Fairfax County, Virginia, United States....
, an annex of the National Air & Space Museum in the Chantilly
Chantilly, Virginia
Chantilly is an unincorporated community located in western Fairfax County and southeastern Loudoun County of Northern Virginia. Recognized by the U.S. Census Bureau as a census designated place , the community population was 23,039 as of the 2010 census -- down from 41,041 in 2000, due to the...
area of Fairfax County, Virginia
Fairfax County, Virginia
Fairfax County is a county in Virginia, in the United States. Per the 2010 Census, the population of the county is 1,081,726, making it the most populous jurisdiction in the Commonwealth of Virginia, with 13.5% of Virginia's population...
, United States, near Washington Dulles International Airport. F-BVFB was given to the Sinsheim Auto & Technik Museum
Sinsheim Auto & Technik Museum
The Auto & Technik Museum Sinsheim is a technology museum in Sinsheim, Germany. Opened in 1981, it is run by a registered association called "Auto & Technik Museum Sinsheim e.V." which also runs the Technik Museum Speyer. , it has more than 3,000 exhibits and an exhibition area of more than 50,000 m²...
in Germany, F-BTSD to the Musée de l'Air et de l'Espace
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
at Le Bourget Airport in Paris, while F-BVFC returned to its place of manufacture in Toulouse
Toulouse
Toulouse is a city in the Haute-Garonne department in southwestern FranceIt lies on the banks of the River Garonne, 590 km away from Paris and half-way between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea...
, at the Airbus factory. F-BVFF is the only example to remain at Charles de Gaulle Airport.
Cabin classes
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
and Indian Ocean, a premium economy class, Alizé, is also offered, and a Premium Voyageur class has been announced for selected international routes. Inflight entertainment via AVOD (Audio Video on Demand) is available in select cabins.
La Première
La Première (former L'Espace Première), Air France's long-haul first classFirst class travel
First class is the most luxurious class of accommodation on a train, passenger ship, airplane, or other conveyance. It is usually much more expensive than business class and economy class, and offers the best amenities.-Aviation:...
product, is available on the Airbus A380 along with four-class Boeing 777-300ER and 777-200ER aircraft. The Première cabin features four to nine (A380) wood and leather seats which recline 180°, forming two-metre
Metric system
The metric system is an international decimalised system of measurement. France was first to adopt a metric system, in 1799, and a metric system is now the official system of measurement, used in almost every country in the world...
long beds. Each seat features a 10.4" touchscreen TV monitor with interactive gaming and AVOD, a privacy divider, automassage feature, reading light, storage drawer, noise-cancelling headphones, personal telephone, and laptop power ports. À la carte
À la carte
À la carte is a French language loan phrase meaning "according to the menu", and used in* A reference to a menu of items priced and ordered separately, i.e. the usual operation of restaurants * To order an item from the menu on its own, e.g...
on-demand meal services feature entrées created by Chef Guy Martin. Turndown service includes a mattress, duvet and pillow. Private lounge access is offered worldwide. La Première is not available on the A330-200 and A340-300, where Affaires is the highest cabin class; and since 2010, the same applies to three-class 777-200ER and 777-300ER aircraft. Through 2011, four-class 777-200ER and 777-300ER configurations are equipped with four and eight La Première seats respectively.
Affaires
Business class
Business class is a travel class available on many commercial airlines and rail lines, known by brand names which vary by airline or rail company. In the airline industry, it was originally intended as an intermediate level of service between economy class and first class, but many airlines now...
product, is available on Airbus A330, Airbus A340, Airbus A380, Boeing 747–400, Boeing 777-200ER, and Boeing 777-300ER aircraft. Affaires features lie-flat seats which recline to two metres in length. Each seat includes a 10.4" touchscreen TV monitor with interactive gaming and AVOD, reading light, personal telephone, and laptop power ports. Meal service features three-course meals and a cheese service, or an express menu served shortly after takeoff.
Alizé
Alizé is Air France's regional premium economy product for flights to the Caribbean and Indian Ocean (such as the AntillesAntilles
The Antilles islands form the greater part of the West Indies in the Caribbean Sea. The Antilles are divided into two major groups: the "Greater Antilles" to the north and west, including the larger islands of Cuba, Jamaica, Hispaniola , and Puerto Rico; and the smaller "Lesser Antilles" on the...
, French Guiana, Reunion Island and Mauritius
Mauritius
Mauritius , officially the Republic of Mauritius is an island nation off the southeast coast of the African continent in the southwest Indian Ocean, about east of Madagascar...
). On the Boeing 777-300ER, the Alizé cabin is located ahead of the Voyageur cabin and features 36 seats. Alizé seats recline up to 123° and feature massaging foot rests. A pre-departure drink, enhanced meal service, and feather pillows and blankets are offered.
Premium Voyageur
This new premium economyPremium economy
Premium economy is a travel class offered on some airlines, positioned in price, comfort, and amenities between economy class and business class. As of 2011, the term is not standardized among airlines, and varies significantly when comparing its use on domestic versus international flights or...
class became available on the Boeing 777-200ER, 777-300ER, Airbus A340-300 and Airbus A330-200 in late 2009 and early 2010. In late 2010 and early 2011, Air France's new Airbus A380-800 were fitted with the premium economy
Premium economy
Premium economy is a travel class offered on some airlines, positioned in price, comfort, and amenities between economy class and business class. As of 2011, the term is not standardized among airlines, and varies significantly when comparing its use on domestic versus international flights or...
seats, located behind the Affaires cabin on the upper deck of the aircraft. It incorporates all standard Voyageur class amenities with a more spacious 2-4-2 (2-3-2 on the Long Haul Airbus Fleet) configuration and 38" pitch. There are 32 new seats on the Boeing 777-300ER. Premium Voyageur's gradual rollout covers the entire long-haul fleet except the Boeing 747–400.
Voyageur
Voyageur (former Tempo), Air France's economy classEconomy class
__FORCETOC__Economy class, also called coach class , steerage, or standard class, is the lowest class of seating in air travel, rail travel, and sometimes ferry or maritime travel....
product, features seats that recline up to 118°. The latest long-haul Voyageur seat, which debuted on the Boeing 777-300ER, includes winged headrests, a personal telephone, and a touchscreen TV monitor with AVOD Interactive Entertainment System which are gradually being installed on all of Air France's longhaul aircraft except Boeing 747-400s. Short-haul Voyageur services are operated by Airbus A320 family aircraft with different seating arrangements. Air France is one of the few airlines who features winged headrests on short-haul aircraft in both classes. On short haul flights a snack is served. On medium haul flights a three course cold meal is served. On long haul flights there is a choice between two main courses when available. Free alcoholic beverages are available on all flights, including champagne. The prior Tempo cabin was renamed as Voyageur with Air France's new image rebranding.
In-flight catering
For its Première cabin, Air France's first class menu is designed by Guy Martin, chef of Le Grand Vefour, a MichelinMichelin Guide
The Michelin Guide is a series of annual guide books published by Michelin for over a dozen countries. The term normally refers to the Michelin Red Guide, the oldest and best-known European hotel and restaurant guide, which awards the Michelin stars...
three-star restaurant in Paris. Menu items include hors d’oeuvres, entrées, bread basket, and cheeses, along with a dessert cart including pastries, petit fours, and tartlets. Air France also serves complimentary champagne to passengers in all classes.
In-flight entertainment
Lounges
Air France lounges are open to Première and Affaires passengers, as well as Flying Blue Gold, Flying Blue Platinum, SkyTeam Elite Plus, or the new unocompanied minor lounge as well as many others.Flying Blue
Flying Blue, the frequent flyer program
Frequent flyer program
A frequent flyer program is a loyalty program offered by many airlines. Typically, airline customers enrolled in the program accumulate frequent flyer miles corresponding to the distance flown on that airline or its partners. There are other ways to accumulate miles...
of Air France-KLM, awards members points based on miles travelled and class of service. Membership into the program is free. The program is divided into standard (Ivory) and Elite (Silver, Gold and Platinum) statuses. Ivory is the basic level which is attained upon entry into the program. Elite status is attained by accruing a certain number of miles within one calendar year. Elite Silver, Elite Gold, and Elite Platinum cards have added benefits. Flying Blue succeeded Air France's previous frequent flyer program, Fréquence Plus, which operated until the Air France-KLM merger in 2003.
- Ivory – Permanent status; accrues mileage on AF, KLM, and qualifying flights.
- Silver (Elite) – 25,000 or more miles, or 15 or more segments.
- Gold (Elite (Plus)) – 40,000 or more miles travelled, or 30 or more level segments.
- Platinum (Elite Plus) – 70,000 or more miles travelled, or 60 or more level segments.
For French and Monegasque
Monaco
Monaco , officially the Principality of Monaco , is a sovereign city state on the French Riviera. It is bordered on three sides by its neighbour, France, and its centre is about from Italy. Its area is with a population of 35,986 as of 2011 and is the most densely populated country in the...
residents, Elite thresholds are higher, at 30,000, 60,000, and 90,000 miles respectively.
In popular culture
Air France is the official airline of the Cannes Film FestivalCannes Film Festival
The Cannes International Film Festival , is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films of all genres including documentaries from around the world. Founded in 1946, it is among the world's most prestigious and publicized film festivals...
.
See also
- List of airlines of France
- List of airports in France
- List of companies of France
- Transport in FranceTransport in FranceTransportation in France relies on one of the densest networks in the world with 146 km of road and 6.2 km of rail lines per 100 km2...
Further reading
- Air France corporate history
- Air France fatal accident list – in English and French
- Financial Times, 17 October 2007 – Air France and Delta target London
- Airwise, 17 October 2007 – Air France And Delta Set Transatlantic Venture
- FT.com/Business Life, The Monday Interview, 30 September 2007 – Pilot who found the right trajectory
- The Seattle Times, Business & Technology, 25 May 2007 – Air France-KLM splits order for jets
- Air France corporate history
- ASIATravelTips.com, 18 June 2001 – Air France confirms major A380 order
- M.R. Golder, The Changing Nature of French Dirigisme – A Case Study of Air France, St. Edmunds Hall, Oxford. Thesis submitted at Trinity College, 1997
- Business Wire, 16 January 1996 – Statement from Air France Group Chairman regarding Stephen M. Wolf
- The New York Times, 31 August 1994, Air France's New Adviser
- Record of Air France accidents/incidents at the ASN Aviation Safety Database
External links
- Air France Corporate (mobile)
- Air France Consulting
- "Wings Over Four Continents" Popular Mechanics, December 1935 pp. 866–868 on massive route expansion of Air France including trans-Atlantic route