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French air travel is crippled by air traffic controller strike
TransportAir France-KLM Group, EasyJet Plc and Deutsche Lufthansa AG are among airlines forced to slash services into France today as they endure a three-day strike by French air traffic controllers that cut 1,800 flights in total. Air France SA said it aims to transport all long-haul passengers by reducing frequencies on key destinations such as [...]
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SkyTeam alliance may add Gol and Virgin Atlantic following Delta investment
TransportThe SkyTeam airline alliance said it may add Brazilian carrier Gol and U.K.-based Virgin Atlantic Airways Ltd. after leading member Delta Air Lines Inc. of the U.S. took stakes in both. Gol Linhas Aereas Inteligentes SA, in which Delta has a 6.15 percent holding, could consider applying for alliance membership in the next two years [...]
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Air France and KLM launch Wi-Fi by-the-hour or flight — and it isn’t cheap
TransportAir France and KLM made good on a promise made last Summer and began a pilot program of onboard, satellite-based Wi-Fi on long-haul flights, charging by the hour or full flight. The service, from Panasonic Avionics, is costly. The charge is EUR 10.95 ($14.18) per hour or EUR 19.95 ($25.84) for the entire flight regardless [...]
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Air France looks to Asia for growth and Gulf airlines for ideas
DestinationsIt is no secret that the action in the airline industry is taking place in Asia. By just looking at passenger growth rates in Asia, it is clear that Asian airlines are doing relatively better than their global peers. Population growth in Asia is the highest and so is economic growth. Furthermore, businesses in Asia [...]
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Air France battles low-cost carriers with perk-free flights
TransportAir France said 60 percent of passengers on short-haul services where there’s a choice of paying less in exchange for fewer perks are taking up the offer. The Mini option, added on 58 routes from Feb. 6, cuts fares by 20 euros ($26) for people willing to travel without checked bags and give up rights [...]
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Air France-KLM postpones Airbus superjumbo deliveries to save on cash
TransportAir France-KLM Group is looking to push back delivery of two Airbus SAS A380 superjumbos it has on order as Europe’s biggest airline reins in capacity growth amid sluggish demand. The company, which has eight A380s in the fleet of its French division and four yet to arrive, disclosed the plans in documentation published ahead [...]
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Virgin Atlantic interested in joint venture with Air France-KLM & Alitalia
TransportVirgin Atlantic is planning to hold talks over a possible joint venture with Air France-KLM and Alitalia which would see Sir Richard Branson’s airline offer more routes to Asia, Africa and the Middle East. Julie Southern, Virgin’s chief commercial officer, said: “We are very interested in exploring what further cooperation opportunities there are, particularly with [...]
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Air France-KLM CEO to depart (again), with a management overhaul
TransportAir France-KLM Group Chief Executive Officer Jean-Cyril Spinetta will step down on July 1, three months before he’s required to quit, with French unit head Alexandre de Juniac taking charge of Europe’s largest airline. Spinetta will exit before his 70th birthday in October, when company statutes would compel him to depart, because he has completed [...]
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KLM breaks the norm by selecting Dutch product designer for new business class
TransportLike any successful designer whose clients are in different countries, Hella Jongerius spends a lot of time on aircraft, and whenever she has flown anywhere recently, she has taken swatches of fabric to scrutinize after takeoff. Specifically, Ms. Jongerius wanted to gauge how the changing quality of light at high altitudes would affect her perception [...]
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Higher fares, fewer workers help Air France-KLM cut losses in 2012
TransportAir France-KLM Group narrowed its full-year operating loss after a capacity freeze boosted average fares and Europe’s biggest airline reduced its headcount by 3,300 over the 12 months. The Paris-based company had an operating loss of 300 million euros ($396 million) in 2012, compared with 353 million euros a year earlier, it said in a [...]
