Will Joon, the hybrid airline launched by Air France, disappear? just over a year after having been baptised? His death certificate has almost already been written, if Le Figaro is to be believed. "Benjamin Smith, the new CEO of the Air France-KLM group and interim CEO of Air France, has decided to put an end to the blue-and-white adventure of Air France's latest airline."The newspaper reported this in its 30 November issue. Announced by the daily, and also mentioned by Reuters, for whom "Air France-KLM is considering closing Joon". according to "several sources within the group"However, Air France immediately denied that the airline had disappeared. "Air France-KLM denies reports that it has been decided to cease operating Joon. No such decision has been taken."explains the company. Le Figaro also points out that, although the decision to wind down the company has been taken, "has not yet been discussed by the Board of Directors".
Joon was launched in summer 2017 with the aim of make loss-making routes profitableThis is particularly true on long-haul routes, where competition is fierce, thanks to the much lower cost of flight crews. With its "millenials" focus, with flight attendants wearing jeans, trainers and a sailor suit, the airline has made a significant contribution to its growth. his first flight December 1, 2017. "Since then, Joon has posted an average load factor of almost 85 % overall and close to 90 % on medium-haul routes."explained Jean-Michel Mathieu, the company's Managing Director, last September, in an interview with Voyages d'Affaires.
If these results are positive, Joon's positioningWhether Joon will be a low-cost carrier or a premium airline does not seem clear to the new management. Pending the conclusion of the discussions currently underway, this winter Joon will be offering services to Fortaleza in Brazil, Mahé in the Seychelles, as well as routes to Cape Town, Cairo and the French capital. Mumbaipreviously operated with Air France. On short and medium-haul routes, Joon links for the first time Paris CDG to Budapest and Bergen, two routes previously operated by Air France, and continues the services to Rome, Naples, Oslo and Istanbul begun in summer 2018. All this is in addition to the destinations initially offered by Joon: Berlin, Barcelona, Lisbon and Porto. Other routes have been announced for the summer 2019 season: Madrid, Stockholm, Prague and Manchester in Europe, as well as Saint-Martin and Quito on the Americas side.
