Air France plans to shift nearly all domestic and international flights to Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport by 2026, leaving only its Transavia low-cost subsidiary and flights to Corsica operating out of Orly, the French capital’s second airport.
“The rise of videoconferencing, the drop in domestic business travel, and the growing shift toward rail [under the combined effect of government sobriety recommendations and corporate CSR policies] are leading to a structural fall in demand on Air France’s domestic point-to-point network,” the airline said in an Oct. 18 statement outlining the plans. Air France noted that between 2019 and 2023, traffic on domestic routes out of Paris Orly fell by 40%, and by 60% for day return trips.
As part of the plans, Air France said it would cut capacity between Paris and Toulouse, Marseille, and Nice to 90% of the current level, but capacity on routes between Paris and the French overseas territories would continue at current levels.
Domestic flights within France have been in the spotlight since the pandemic, when the French government imposed a condition on state aid for Air France that banned domestic flights where a rail alternative of under 2.5 hr. existed. That constraint was later cemented into law.
More broadly within the aviation sector, airlines have noted a slow return of demand for business travel since the pandemic changed working patterns.
Air France said its plans would help it be more responsive to changing travel demand and make better use of each airline’s resources and improve competitiveness.
The airline plans to operate all domestic and international flights from Paris Charles de Gaulle, with the exception of services to and from the island of Corsica, which come under a Public Service Order (PSO). The airline has submitted a joint bid with Air Corsica for the renewal of this PSO from 2024.
Apart from that, from 2026, the group’s presence at Orly would be limited to Transavia, its fast-growing subsidiary LCC.
Between now and 2026, the airline will continue to serve Toulouse, Marseille, and Nice, as well as the French overseas departments from Paris-Orly. As of the end of October, flights to Cayenne (French Guiana) will be out of Paris-Charles de Gaulle only.
Air France said it would bolster the number of flights from Paris-Charles de Gaulle to Toulouse, Marseille, Nice, Pointe-à-Pitre (Guadeloupe), Fort-de-France (Martinique), and Saint-Denis de La Réunion, a move it says would facilitate international connections and strengthen the connectivity of the French regions and overseas territories.
It also wants to position Transavia on services to Toulouse, Marseille, and Nice from Paris-Orly airport starting in summer 2026, subject to consultation with relevant bodies.
The airline said as some flights would be transferred from Orly to Charles de Gaulle, the impact on jobs in Toulouse, Marseille and Nice would be limited, and based solely on voluntary transfers and departures. Flight crew bases at these stations would be maintained.
The airline will need enough staff by 2026 so that Paris Orly employees will be guaranteed an equivalent position at Charles de Gaulle. It plans to begin consultation with employee representative groups and negotiations with unions soon.
Related Content
