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Air France
File:Air France logo.svg
IATA ICAO Callsign
AF AFR AIRFRANS
Founded1933
HubsCharles de Gaulle International Airport
Focus citiesOrly Airport
Saint-Exupéry International Airport
Côte d'Azur International Airport
Frequent-flyer programFlying Blue
AllianceSkyTeam
Fleet size237 (+105 orders)
Destinations187
Parent companyAir France-KLM
HeadquartersRoissy-en-France, France
Key peopleJean-Cyril Spinetta (Chairman and CEO), Pierre-Henri Gourgeon (COO), Philippe Calavia (CFO)
Websitehttp://www.airfrance.com

Air France (Compagnie Nationale Air France) is an airline based in Paris, France, a subsidiary of Air France-KLM Group and is the international flag carrier of France. It operates domestic and international scheduled passenger and cargo services to 185 destinations in 83 countries around the world. Its main bases are Orly Airport and Charles de Gaulle International Airport, both in Paris, with a hub at Saint-Exupéry International Airport, Lyon[1].

Before its merger with KLM, Air France was the national airline of France, employing 71,654 people (as of March 2004).[2] By March 2007 the airline employed 102,422 staff.[1]

The company's headquarters are located at Charles de Gaulle International Airport near Paris; these headquarters are now used by Air France-KLM. Between April 2001 and March 2002, the airline transported 43.3 million passengers and earned 12.53 billion Euro. Air France's subsidiary, Régional, operates regional jet and turboprop flights within Europe.[3] Air France is also accredited by the IATA with the IOSA (IATA Operations Safety Audit) for its safety practices.[4]

Air France-KLM union

[citation needed]

Boeing 777-200ER tail

Air France merged with the Dutch company KLM in May 2004, resulting in the creation of Air France-KLM. Air France-KLM is the largest airline company in the world in terms of operating revenues, and the third-largest in the world (largest in Europe) in terms of passengers-kilometers.

Air France-KLM is part of the SkyTeam alliance with Aeroflot, Delta Air Lines, Aeroméxico, Korean Air, Czech Airlines, Alitalia, Northwest Airlines, Air Europa and Continental Airlines. Both Air France and KLM continue to fly under their brand names.

History

Founded on October 7, 1933, through the merger of Air Orient, Compagnie Générale Aéropostale, Société Générale de Transport Aérien (SGTA, the first French carrier, founded as Lignes Aériennes Farman in 1919), Air Union and CIDNA (Compagnie Internationale de Navigation). The airline had extensive routes across Europe, but also to French colonies in northern Africa and elsewhere. During World War II, Air France moved its operations to Casablanca, Morocco; the airline was featured prominently in the film Casablanca.

Passengers disembarking from a Sud-Est SE-161 Languedoc

After the Second World War, the company was nationalized and Societe Nationale Air France was set up on 1 January 1946. Compagnie Nationale Air France was created by a parliamentary act on June 16, 1948. The government held 70% of the new company and in mid-2002 still held a 54% stake in the airline. On August 4, 1948, Max Hymans was appointed president of Air France. During his thirteen years at the helm, he implemented a modernisation policy based on jet aircraft, specifically the Sud Aviation Caravelle and the Boeing 707. In 1949 the company was one of the founders of SITA (Société Internationale de Télécommunications Aéronautiques). The airline used the De Havilland Comet for a short while from 1953, but soon replaced it with Vickers Viscounts. In 1959 the company started widespread use of the twin-jet Sud Aviation Caravelle. It graduated to the use of Boeing aircraft, but as a national European carrier it became committed to Airbus designs from 1974.

In 1976, the airline started operating the Concorde SST supersonic airliner on the Paris-Charles de Gaulle to New York route as well as a number of other routes (those other routes were dropped in 1982). It flew the route Paris to New York City in 3 hours and 20 minutes, at about twice the speed of sound. Approval for flights to the United States were initially delayed due to noise protests so other routes were started, including to Caracas via Santa Maria, Azores and to Rio de Janiero via Dakar, Senegal. Eventually, services to Mexico City via Washington was also started.

Air France has used code sharing with regional airlines, TAT was among several code sharing partners that flew aircraft with an Air France livery. [5]

On 12 January 1990, the operations of all government owned airlines, Air France, Air Inter, Air Charter and UTA, were merged into the Air France Group. A new holding company Groupe Air France was set up by decree on 25 July 1994 and implemented on 1 September 1994. It had majority shareholdings in Air France and Air Inter (renamed Air France Europe). In 1997 Air France Europe was fully absorbed into Air France. On 10 February 1999 Lionel Jospin's Plural Left government partially privatised the airline on the Paris stock exchange. It became a founder member of the SkyTeam alliance in June 2000[1].

Concorde at the Udvar-Hazy Center.

The five Air France Concordes were withdrawn from use on 31 May 2003 as a result of insufficient demand following the 2000 accident, along with higher fuel and maintenance costs. British Airways followed suit a few months later, with their last Concordes flying on 24 October 2003. Concorde F-BVFA was transferred to the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia, near Washington-Dulles airport in Washington, D.C., an annex of the National Air & Space Museum. F-BVFB was given to a German museum, F-BTSD to the "Musée de l'Air et de l'Espace" in Paris, while F-BVFC was returned to its place of manufacture in Toulouse (France) at the Airbus factory.

On September 30, 2003, Air France and Netherlands-based KLM (Royal Dutch Airlines), announced the merging of the two airlines, with the new company to be known as Air France-KLM. The merger finally became reality on May 5, 2004. Former Air France shareholders own 81% of the new firm (44% owned by the French state, 37% by private shareholders), while former KLM shareholders hold the rest. Jean-Pierre Raffarin's government reduced the state's share of Air France from 54.4 per cent (of the former Air France) to 44 per cent (of the current Air France-KLM), thus in effect privatizing Air France. In December 2004 the French state sold 18.4% of its equity stake in the Air France-KLM Group, reducing its stake to just under 20%[1].

Destinations

Main article: Air France destinations

Most of Air France's international flights operate from Paris-Charles de Gaulle airport. Air France also has a strong presence in Paris-Orly and Lyon-Saint-Exupéry. Some flights also operate out of Nice.

Fleet

Passenger fleet

The Air France passenger fleet consists of the following aircraft as of June 2007: [6]

Air France Fleet
Aircraft Total Passengers
(First/Business/Economy) 		Routes Notes
Airbus A318 18 118*
123 		Short-medium haul
Europe, Africa
Airbus A319 46 133* - 136*
138 - 142 		Short-medium haul
Africa, Europe, Middle East
Airbus A320 68
(48 orders) 		160* - 166*
165 - 172 		Short-medium haul
Africa, Europe, Middle East
Airbus A321 15 196* - 200*
206 		Short-medium haul
Africa, Europe, Middle East
Airbus A330-200 16 211 (6/42/163)
222 (40/182) 		Medium-long haul
Africa, Americas, Asia
Airbus A340-300 19 252 (6/42/204)
272 (36/236)
289 (30/259) 		Long haul
Africa, Americas, Asia, Caribbean
Airbus A380 (12 orders)
(2 options) 		531 Long haul Entry into service: 2009
Boeing 747-400 10 395 (13/58/322)
433 (39/394)
474 (17/457) 		Long haul
Africa, Americas, Asia, Caribbean 		Replacement aircraft:
Airbus A380
Boeing 777-300ER
Boeing 747-400M 5 Replacement aircraft:
Boeing 777-200F
Boeing 777-300ER
Boeing 777-200ER 25 264 (4/49/211)
270 (12/56/202) 		Long haul
Africa, Americas, Asia
Boeing 777-300ER 23
(28 orders) 		310 (8/67/235) Long haul
Africa, Americas, Asia 		Launch customer

*Short Haul aircraft base L'Espace Affaires seating amounts by demand.

The average fleet age of Air France is 8.8 years as of September 2007 [7].

Cargo fleet

Airbus A318
Aircraft Total Notes
Boeing 747-200F 3 Exit from service: End of 2009
Boeing 747-400BCF 1 4 More to be added after being converted
from passenger configuration to cargo
Boeing 747-400ERF 6 Includes one aircraft loaned from KLM until 2008
Boeing 777F (10 orders) To be delivered

Orders

Airbus A320-200
  • On 24 May 2007 Air France announced it was planning to phase out the 747 by 2012, and placed an order for an additional 13 Boeing 777-300ER aircraft and 5 Boeing 777-200F aircraft. The airline had also converted options for 2 more A380 aircraft into firm orders. This will bring the total number of these aircraft types for Air France to 33 Boeing 777-300ER, 10 Boeing 777-200F, and 12 A380-800. [8]
  • On 22 February 2005 Air France placed an order for a further 4 Boeing 777-300ER aircraft, adding to 10 previously ordered (4 delivered). The airline had previously ordered 18 Boeing 777-200ERs.
  • Air France has ordered 12 Airbus A380 aircraft, with options on a further 2 aircraft. Delivery of the first aircraft will start in 2009. The A380 will initially be used on North Atlantic route services from Paris to Montreal and New York and as additional aircraft arrive, on services to Beijing and Tokyo [9].
  • On 20 May 2005 Air France signed an agreement with Boeing to convert three of its former combi Boeing 747-400 aircraft, currently in all passenger configuration, into full freighter configuration under the Boeing 747-400SF (Special Freighter) programme. The first modified aircraft will be delivered in June 2007, enabling acceleration of the phasing out of old Boeing 747-200 Freighters [10].
  • On 23 May 2005 Air France agreed to purchase 5 777 Freighters (with 3 further options), making it the launch customer of the 777 Freighter along with Air Canada who ordered 2. First delivery will be in late 2008, commencing replacement of the airline's Boeing 747-200F fleet [10].

Retired fleet

Cabin

Air France has three primary classes of international service: L'Espace Première (First), L'Espace Affaires (Business), and Tempo (Economy). European shorthaul flights feature Tempo class service. For flights to the Caribbean and Indian Ocean, a premium economy class, Alizé, is also offered.[11] Inflight entertainment via AVOD (Audio Video on Demand) is available in select cabins.

L'Espace Première

L'Espace Première, Air France's longhaul first class product, is available on Boeing 777-300ER and Boeing 777-200ER aircraft. The L'Espace Première cabin features four to eight wood and leather seats which recline 180°, forming two meter 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.

L'Espace Affaires

L'Espace Affaires, Air France's longhaul business class product, is available on Airbus A330, Airbus A340, Boeing 747-400, Boeing 777-200ER, and Boeing 777-300ER aircraft. L'Espace Affaires features lie-flat seats which recline to two meters 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.

Airbus A319-100 landing

Tempo

Tempo, Air France's economy class product, features seats that recline up to 118°. The latest longhaul Tempo seat, which debuted on the Boeing 777-300ER, includes winged headrests, a personal telephone, and a touchscreen TV monitor with interactive gaming and partial AVOD, with films and programs restarting every 15 minutes. Shorthaul Tempo services are operated by Airbus A320 family aircraft with different seating arrangements. On short haul flights, a cold meal is served. On long haul flights you can choose between two main courses. Complimentary alcoholic beverages are available on all flights. On flights over 10.5 hours, a self-service snack buffet is available in the galley.

Alizé

Alizé, Air France's premium economy product, is available on flights to the Caribbean and Indian Ocean (such as the Antilles, Guyana, and Mauritius). On the Boeing 777-300ER, the Alizé cabin is located in front of the Tempo cabin and features 36 seats. Alizé seats recline up to 123° and feature massaging foot rests. A predeparture drink, enhanced meal service, and feather pillows and blankets are offered.

Codeshare agreements

Boeing 777-300ER

In addition to its Brit Air, Cityjet, Régional, and SkyTeam alliance partnerships, Air France offers frequent flyer partnerships with the following airlines:

Subsidiaries

In partnership with Dutch affiliate, Transavia, Air France is to launch a new charter/low-cost subsidiary to be based at Paris - Orly Airport and to begin operations in May 2007 with leisure route services in the Mediterranean and North Africa. It will operate 4 Boeing 737-800 aircraft. Transavia is understood to have a 40% stake, with Air France holding the rest [12].

Incidents and accidents

[citation needed]

File:Air France Flight 358.jpg
Flight 358 at Toronto Pearson International Airport
  • On October 27, 1949, boxer Marcel Cerdan, violinist Ginette Neveu and some members of the Barnum & Bailey Circus died when an Air France flight crashed into a mountain after two failed attempts to make a landing at the São Miguel Island airport in the Azores.
  • On the nights of 12-14 June 1950, two Air France Douglas DC-4s crashed into the waters off Bahrain while attempting to land, with the loss of 86 lives.
  • 3 June, 1962: A chartered Boeing 707-328 (registration F-BHSMdisaster), the Chateau de Sully, from Orly Airport (Paris, France) to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (Atlanta, Georgia, USA) crashed during take-off; 130 of the total 132 people on board were killed. Two flight attendants sitting in the aft (tail or rear) section of the aircraft were saved. The investigation found a faulty servo motor, which had led to an improper (and non-adjustable) elevator trim. Brake marks measuring 1,500 feet (457 m) were found on the runway, indicating that the cockpit crew tried to abort take-off. The aircraft rolled right while only seven feet (2 m) from the ground, causing its right wing to hit the ground. The 707-328 crashed 50 yards (45 m) from the runway and exploded.
  • June 22, 1962: A Boeing 707-328 crashed into a hill during bad weather, while attempting to land in Guadeloupe, West Indies, killing all 113 on board. The aircraft was attempting a non-precision NDB approach. A malfunctioning VOR station, and poor NDB reception due to thunderstorms in the area, were blamed for the accident.
  • June 27, 1976: Flight 139 from Tel Aviv to Paris through Athens was hijacked by a Palestinian group. The Airbus A300 and its 260 occupants were taken to Entebbe, Uganda, where they were rescued by Israeli soldiers the following week. See Operation Entebbe.
  • On June 26, 1988, Flight 296, an A320-100 of Air France crashed near the airfield of Mulhouse-Habsheim during an airshow, in Alsace/France. The aircraft overflew the airfield in good weather. Seconds later the aircraft touched the tops of trees behind the runway and crashed into a forest. Three passengers died in the accident and about fifty were injured.
  • In 1994, a group of men from the Algerian group GIA hijacked Flight 8969, intending to crash it into the Eiffel Tower. French GIGN intervened and prevented an incident.
  • On July 25, 2000, Flight 4590, a chartered Concorde departing from De Gaulle airport in Paris bound for JFK crashed just after take-off in Gonesse impacting a hotel. All 109 people on board died plus four people on the ground.
  • On January 23, 2003, two bodies fell off Flight 112 (from Paris Charles de Gaulle International Airport to Shanghai Pudong International Airport) right before its landing in Shanghai. The two men were described as European by witnesses in the village where one of the bodies fell through the roof of a house and the other plunged into an orchard. No on-board passengers or crew, or individuals on the ground were reported hurt.[1] [2]

France has been the target of many hijackings: 1973 Marseille; 1976 Benghazi (Operation Entebbe) and Ho Chi Minh City; 1977 Benghazi; 1983 Geneva; 1984 Geneva twice; 1989 Algiers; 1993 Nice; 1994 Algiers; 1999 Paris. On December 24, 2003, three Air France flights bound for LAX were cancelled because of fears that terrorist group members would board.

Livery

Air France's livery is a Eurowhite scheme, composed of primarily white with blue and red accents.

Trivia

  • The song featured in the Air France commercials, and the song played before and after Air France flights is "Between Us" by the band Aswefall.
  • There are 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.
  • Air France was named by the Association of European Airlines as one of seven airlines with a worse-than-average record for lost luggage in 2006. The average over 24 airlines is 15.7 bags per 1,000 passengers.[13]

References

  1. ^ a b c d "Directory: World Airlines". Flight International. 2007-03-27. pp. 56–57.
  2. ^ AIR FRANCE - KLM Company Profile Yahoo! Finance
  3. ^ Régional, compagnie aérienne européenne Company Profile
  4. ^ Air France IOSA Operators Profile
  5. ^ http://www.airliners.net/search/photo.search?airlinesearch=Air%20France%20(TAT%20-%20Touraine%20Air%20Transport)&distinct_entry=true
  6. ^ Air France website - Fleet
  7. ^ Air France Fleet & Age
  8. ^ Flight Global - Air France to replace 747 fleet
  9. ^ Airliner World (March 2005)
  10. ^ a b Air International (July 2005)
  11. ^ Air France - On Board
  12. ^ Airliner World (January 2007)
  13. ^ "AEA Consumer Report" (PDF). Association of European Airlines. Retrieved 2007-04-04.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Air France.
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