The rise of Transavia is now visible, with the carrier continuing to strengthen its domestic and international network from its main bases. Nicolas HeninTransavia's Executive Vice President Commercial, talks about outlook for the company in a exclusive interview.
Following the restructuring of Air France's domestic network, what is the current status of Transavia's domestic services?
Nicolas Henin - Transavia's trajectory took shape last summer when Air France has organised its restructuring. The group then decided to transfer some of its domestic routes to Transavia.. In November we moved to the Orly-Biarritz route. December saw the transfer of the first transverse lines from Nantes to MarseilleMontpellier, Nice and Toulouse. Services from Montpellier and Brest were added in February.
What's new in the home this spring?
Nicolas Henin - From Orly, we are launching the 29 March three daily flights to Toulon and two daily flights to Brest. And this spring, we are launching flights between Orly and Brest on 29 March. We are also increasing our capabilities on cross-border domestic routes. And we are adding seasonal flights from Montpellier and Nantes on the Corsica. Brest is now linked to ten French destinations.
How do you see the network developing in the short term?
Nicolas Henin - It's a question that's still difficult to answer, because we're still in a state of flux. very volatile. Our domestic network will certainly continue to expand, especially as we expect VFR (charter) and leisure traffic to pick up. This traffic is the first to recover, well before the return of business traffic. Transborder routes offer excellent growth prospects. They remain sheltered from TGV competition in particular.
Nothing is worse than uncertainty and lack of harmonisation within the Schengen area
How do you assess the situation on your European routes?
Nicolas Henin - Internationally, everything will depend on the reopening of borders. But our agility in adapting to the aviation environment means we can move from one country to another. Nothing is worse than uncertainty and lack of harmonisation within the Schengen area. This is certainly at the heart of our difficulties in getting demand in Europe moving again.
But what are the prospects for combined leisure and business traffic?
Nicolas Henin - Historically, we have always had mixed traffic to Spain and Portugal. Before the pandemic, we had four daily flights to Spain and Portugal. Madrid but also to Lisbon from Orly. Porto was even our flagship route with six daily flights, which also attracted business travellers. Spain and Portugal still offer a good mix in terms of traffic typology, even if the recovery is indeed slower for the business segment.
Is it easy for Transavia to establish itself in this business segment?
Nicolas Henin - Yes, because we are expanding our offer, particularly on domestic routes. For business travellers, we are offering a "MAX" fare. For a supplement of €55 on domestic routes, passengers benefit from ticket flexibility and priority boarding. Our passengers also earn miles on the Air France-KLM programme "Flying Blue which is obviously a advantage over low-cost competitors. We are also working on an even more attractive price structure and offer for the coming months.
