As predicted a few days ago, Benjamin Smith is continuing to clean up its portfolio of Air France brands. After Joonabandoned by the boss of the Franco-Dutch group, HOP! is also in the sights of the new management team. But unlike the 'new generation' airline, the regional subsidiary is set to remain in place, with just a simple makeover. Say goodbye to "HOP!" and hello to "Air France HOP"... Behind this apparently cosmetic change lies the group's new strategy. This is to focus onidentity of the "Air France" brandThis is something that customers - particularly foreign customers - need to be able to identify more easily. " This change will make it possible to link this offer more clearly to the Air France brand, and strengthen it by making it the sole point of reference for customers wishing to travel in the tricolour livery." said the press release published on 1 February.
consolidate the power of our brands and increase the clarity and overall coherence of the Air France - KLM Group's offer
" This development is a further step towards consolidating the power of our brands and making the Air France - KLM group's offer more legible and coherent overall." notes Benjamin SmithChief Executive Officer of Air France-KLM. He continued: " The domestic network, and in particular the network currently operated under the HOP! brand, is fundamental to the Air France business modelguarantor of its territorial anchorage and an integral part of its history and DNA. Faced with the competition in this market, we have to make our offer clearer and link it more strongly to values and the strengths of the Air France brand" .
It now remains to be seen whether this marketing change will be accompanied by a more far-reaching transformation of the new Air France HOP, particularly in terms of its network, and what concrete impact this will have on business travellers, attracted by cross-border routes between regional airports.
