Air France-KLM has ordered 60 Airbus A220 aircraft to replace the A318s and A319s on Air France’s short- and medium-haul network. The group has also confirmed that its remaining A380s will leave the Air France fleet by 2022.
This week: China Eastern’s first A350-900; Lufthansa to reduce capacity growth; Chile court approves LATAM agreements; Air France-KLM CEO; United inaugurates new services and more.
SkyTeam partners Air France-KLM and Air Europa are hoping that a planned joint venture agreement on flights between Europe and Central and South America will help to unlock new routes and direct flights between the two continents.
This week: LEVEL hires first CEO; JetBlue to cut Q4 capacity; BA to resume Pittsburgh; Alitalia excluded from transatlantic JV; and air traffic strikes hit Wizz’s profits.
Five years on from Willie Walsh’s “knee in the groin” wager with Sir Richard Branson that Virgin Atlantic would disappear, the airline is still flying high. Chief executive Craig Kreeger lifts the lid on why its new tie-up with Air France-KLM is the next logical step amid fierce competition on transatlantic routes.
Delta, Air France-KLM and Virgin Atlantic are to form a combined global joint venture as part of a shake-up of the industry that also allows China Eastern to bolster its presence in the China-Europe market.
CEO Jean-Marc Janaillac has launched an initiative to tackle the airline's issues head-on, mainly cutting costs and growing long-haul operations. Air France-KLM returned to net profit for the first time in six financial years last year, turning a net loss of €225 million in 2014 to a positive net result of €118 million.
