" Aigle Azur reassures "Ironically, this is the title of the latest press release published on the airline's social networks. The latest message from 8 AugustThe content of this report now seems to be completely out of step with the economic and social reality of the French carrier. Since then: radio silence. And in less than a month, the turbulence experienced by Aigle Azur seems to have had the better of the airline's future. After a false start provoked by a 'mini-putsch', the CEO Frantz Yvelin has indeed resigned on Wednesday, a few hours after the placement of the company in legal redress. In the wake of this, Aigle Azur suspended all its flights to Mali, Brazil and Portugal on Thursday. Before stopping its operations purely and simply on the evening of 6 September. However, the carrier has announced that it will be operating 44 flights until Friday evening. This means that sales of Aigle Azur tickets will be impossible from that day onwards. By noon on Monday, potential buyers should have submitted their bids. Several possibilities are being discussed, including that of Air France.
The case of Algeria is the most problematic, because this market was the historical basis of Aigle Azur's activity. While Aigle Azur handled between 50% and 60% of all aircraft movements between France and Algeria, flying between the two countries is still possible. On the Paris-Alger route alone, for example, there are 13 daily flights, nine of which are operated by Air Algérie alone, which serves both CDG and Orly. Air France offers four daily flights from CDG. The French Ministry of Foreign Affairs has posted the following on its Traveller's Advice Twitter account: " Passengers whose flights have been cancelled are invited to contact other airlines such as Air France, ASL Airlines France, Air Algérie, Transavia France and Vueling, and enquire about the possibility of benefiting from preferential fares." .
Aigle Azur's France-Algeria network (six routes from Paris Orly and around ten routes from the provinces, including Bordeaux, Lille, Lyon, Marseille, Nantes and Toulouse) and its frequencies are probably the most coveted aspect of the carrier's business. This would explain Air France's interest. Air France has little weight in the total number of air routes between the two countries, with five daily flights from Paris Charles de Gaulle to Algiers and Oran. The network created by Aigle Azur would enable the French carrier to gain a foothold in a market which, while essentially VFR ("Visit Friends and Relatives"), is nonetheless attractive for business traffic in the hydrocarbons, construction and infrastructure development sectors. It is therefore possible that the Air France group could - if it takes over Aigle Azur - operate routes under both its own flag and that of Transavia.
Aigle Azur has entered a period of active search for buyers
" Having been placed in receivership on 2 September 2019, Aigle Azur has entered a period of active search for buyers, under the supervision of the commercial courts, which requires it to gradually suspend its scheduled flights" Aigle Azur management said on Thursday. " Given the safety requirements that the airline owes to all its passengers throughout their journey, Aigle Azur now has no choice but to announce, as a precautionary measure, the following suspension of all scheduled flights to and from Mali, to and from Brazil, and to and from Portugal, with effect from 5 September 2019. Sales for flights from 10 September 2019 are suspended for the time being".it also states.
This sudden cessation of flights, like the overall management of this dossier, is scandalous.
Jean-Pierre Mas, Chairman of Entreprises du Voyage, was quick to question the new Secretary of State for Transport, Jean-Baptiste Djibbari. " The company's administrator suddenly took the decision last night to suspend flights from this evening (6 September). He has therefore knowingly misled Aigle Azur passengers and travel agents: thousands of passengers hoping to return to France this weekend will remain stranded and will have to buy another ticket... if they can find space. This decision is difficult to justify given that, according to Aigle Azur, more than ten million euros of cash available in Algeria could have been partially used to operate the weekend flights. The CIRI and the Ministry of the Economy, which are heavily involved in monitoring this case, were unable to force the receiver to honour its commitments and continue flights until at least 9 September. This sudden stoppage of flights, like the overall management of this case, is scandalous: it is putting tens of thousands of passengers in difficulty, as they pay for their journey a long time in advance without being sure of being able to make it. The travel agencies, the company's agents, are trying to help their customers. They have no guarantee in the event of an airline defaulting, while they are required to provide heavy bank guarantees to the same airlines. Entreprises du Voyage are asking the new Secretary of State for Transport, Jean-Baptiste Djibbari, to defend their plan to include in the LOM law an obligation for airlines to have a guarantee for professionals and passengers in the event of default. "said Jean-Pierre Mas in a press release published on Friday.
