In a few words: why your Transform 2015 modernisation plan?
Alexandre de Juniac - To enable Air France to regain its competitiveness, but also to reposition its offer at the best world level. This means reviewing our organisation and operating methods in order to reduce costs and improve efficiency. At the same time, we have also decided to maintain our investments, and even to step them up in two essential areas: flight safety and the environment. improving products and services. Conditional on the success of Transform 2015, Air France's investment plan to ensure its upmarket positioning is colossal, amounting to several hundred million euros over three years. By investing for our customers, we are seeking to establish a virtuous circle. Our efforts today will enable us to win the preference of our customers and return to growth.
What role do you see for the business traveller in this transformation plan?
A.d.J. - A very central position. Business class accounts for almost a quarter of our passengers, but more than a third of our long-haul sales. Business travel is therefore at the heart of our strategy. One of my main concerns if we are to regain our position as a global benchmark for business travellers is to upgrade our offer on medium and long-haul routes. On long-haul flights, we are preparing for the arrival at the end of 2013 of a new generation of seats which will equip the La Première and Affaires cabins of our Airbus 380 and Boeing 777 aircraft. This will mark a decisive step forward in terms of the comfort, space and privacy offered to our customers, giving us a head start over our competitors.
Can business travellers expect further changes?
A.d.J. - We want to strengthen our relationship with our customers by creating truly special moments with them. We want to make in-flight service a key feature of our Business cabin and create a special Air France brand in the minds of our customers. The airline drew its inspiration from top-of-the-range brands. This work has resulted in a range of gestures, words and attentions, and customer satisfaction is the result. Take the catering, for example. In the Affaires cabin, dishes by top French chefs are offered on long-haul flights departing from Paris. Following in the footsteps of Joël Robuchon, Guy Martin has been offering exclusive dishes for Business customers since 1 June. Another new feature this summer is the offer of five "à la carte" menus in the Premium Voyageur and Voyageur cabins on most long-haul flights departing from Paris as an alternative to the daily menu, which of course remains free of charge. These à la carte menus are a real success!
What about ground services?
A.d.J. - This is a major factor in passenger satisfaction, and the battle between airlines is being waged more than ever on this part of the journey. On 28 June, together with Aéroports de Paris, we inaugurated a new boarding satellite in terminal 2E at Paris-CDG. Air France has opened the largest business lounge in its network, offering the best of French art de vivre and technological innovations. Another new feature: for their best customers, Air France and SkyTeam have introduced SkyPriority, a harmonized ground service offering priority routing worldwide. By 2013, this service will be available in over 1,000 airports.
Key dates
Graduate of Ecole Polytechnique de Paris (1981) and ENA (1988).
1988 : Auditor, then maître des requêtes and deputy secretary general of the Conseil d'État.
1993 : Technical adviser, then deputy director of Nicolas Sarkozy's cabinet at the Ministry of the Budget.
1995 : Director of Planning and Development at Thomson SA.
1999 : Company Secretary of Thomson-CSF, then Executive Vice President of Thales in charge of the Aircraft Systems Division.
2008 : Executive Vice President, Asia, Africa, Middle East and Latin America, Thales.
2009 : Chief of Staff to Christine Lagarde, Minister for the Economy, Industry and Employment.
2011 : Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Air France.
