less controversial scenario that bases province

The subject is still at the stage of thinking within the Air France, but it is already much of the commentary, or even of fantasies. According to our information, the French company would consider, in the "low cost" offensive in France, to create a "structure" to cost, to counter the development of EasyJet and Ryanair on domestic routes.

This new structure - we are not talking yet low-cost subsidiary-, that some already refer Air France Express, the recovery of A320 airliners of Air France and drivers recruited on the basis of volunteerism, to conditions different from those of the parent. Main adaptation: these drivers would significantly more - fly between 650 and 700 flight hours per year, against 560 hours average for Air France - in exchange for better pay. What reduce the productivity gap with, for example, EasyJet, whose pilots are 750 flight hours per year. This system would integrate plan NEO ("new european offer") for the restructuring of the network medium-haul, hired in March last with the redesign of the product, and would be the counterpart side seafarers, of the 20 reduction of the costs of the visits of province provided by 2013.

For the time being, this project is however that a scenario among others and not necessarily one who have favor with the leadership. Pierre-Henri Gourgeon may him prefer a less dramatic and... less controversial scenario: that "bases province." It would be to detach pilots of Air France, which would be based in the main stopovers of province, with a simple endorsement to the contract of employment, to amend their rules of use for two years. Thus relocated and specialized in the service of Orly, these drivers would, there again, able to fly more.

Home interested

What seduce many seafarers previously domiciled in the province, which must go to Paris to take their service, and avoid the additional costs and the turbulence would lead to the creation of an effective low cost structure.

A third possibility would have been a part of the domestic lines to Transavia, the young tourism company of the group. But this option seems definitely excluded, Transavia using a Boeing 737-800 while Air France uses mainly for A320 on its fault lines.

Unimaginable before the crisis, these scenarios seem to meet a home interested in the company, including the leaders of pilots, concerned to reduce such as shrinking the medium-haul of Air France activity. If the current decline of domestic traffic continued, the fleet, which had 135 devices before the crisis, which has already lost 7 aircraft, could fall to 80 aircraft by the end of the Decade, reason one of them.

Many traditional companies such as Qantas, Iberia, British Airways (with OpenSkies) and soon All Nippon Airways, already have subsidiaries "low cost". Air France itself already has one foot with Transavia and Cityjet. He also multiplied commercial agreements with companies low-cost, such as GOL to Brazil, Jetstar in Australia and, most recently, Flybe in the United Kingdom.

But, until now, the company has consistently rejected the idea of a subsidiary low-cost, arguing the incompatibility of the model low cost with the power of the hub of Roissy, imposed stalling the scheduled flights haul of five planned rendezvous Beach, to the detriment of productivity. An argument which does however not apply to Orly, and even less on intra-régionaux flights.