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Air France | Concorde service and rivalry | Cabin classes

Air France
Air France (formally Société Air France SA), stylised as AirFrance, is the French flag carrier headquartered in Tremblay-en-France, France (North 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 152 destinations in 91 countries (including Overseas departments and territories of France) and also carried 70 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 wide-body jetliners on long-haul routes, and utilises Airbus A320 family aircraft on short-haul routes. Air France debuted 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.

History

Airbus A318
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). 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 nationalised. 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 attendants 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 airliners 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 Constellations 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.

Concorde service and rivalry

On 21 January 1976, Air France operated its inaugural supersonic transport (SST) 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 747s) 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.

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 Airport, 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.

Destinations

Air France is a full service global airline and flies to 32 domestic destinations and 152 international destinations in 91 countries (including Overseas departments and territories of France) across 6 major continents. This includes Air France Cargo services and those destinations served by franchisees Airlinair, Brit Air, CityJet, CCM Airlines and Régional.

Air France, along with British Airways, Delta Air Lines, Emirates Airlines, Korean Air, Malaysia Airlines, Qantas, Qatar Airways, Singapore Airlines , South African Airways, and United Airlines, is one of the few airlines that fly to all six inhabited continents.

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.

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-BTSC, 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.

Cabin classes

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.

Affaires

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.

Alizé

Alizé is Air France's regional premium economy product for flights to the Caribbean and Indian Ocean (such as the Antilles, 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.

Premium Voyageur

This new premium economy 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 A380) 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 class 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. Limited free alcoholic beverages are available on all flights. The prior Tempo cabin was renamed as Voyageur with Air France's new image rebranding.

In popular culture

Air France is the official airline of the Cannes Film Festival. Air France has featured in Hollywood films. In the 1942 classic Casablanca, an Air France airliner, identifiable via its seahorse logo, featured prominently in the film's climactic last scene. The Air France aircraft was used to take Ingrid Bergman's character (Ilsa Laszlo) and her husband to freedom, as her former lover, Rick Blaine, played by Humphrey Bogart, watches. Additionally, the first in-flight movie was screened on board an Air France Lockheed Constellation in 1951 flying the New York to Paris route. An Air France Concorde aircraft featured in the 1979 James Bond film Moonraker landing in Rio de Janeiro and with Bond disembarking the aircraft. Air France is also mentioned in some episodes of the US TV drama Gossip Girl where Paris plays a small role in the life of the Waldorf Family.

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