Your new airline JOON will soon be taking off. How do you see it growing?
Franck Terner - The first flights of Joon are scheduled to begin in the winter season to Barcelona, Berlin, Lisbon and Porto with six aircraft. We will continue on long-haul routes in the spring-summer 2018 season. By 2020, we will be expanding to these destinations and opening other routes, with a target of 18 medium-haul aircraft and 10 long-haul aircraft. In terms of comfort and services, Joon is an Air France Group airline, with its demand for quality. We will offer two cabins on medium-haul (Business and Economy) and three on long-haul (Business, Premium Economy and Economy). All customers will benefit from the expertise of Air France ground staff and Business passengers will have access to Air France lounges.
How does the airline intend to meet the expectations of both business travellers and millenials?
F. T. - With its portfolio of brands - Air France, KLM, Hop, Transavia, Joon - our group offers complementary services that meet the expectations of different customer groups. Joon has been designed to meet several challenges in the sector, one of which is to attract new customersyoung working people, who represent 38 % of the air travel market. However, Joon will be aimed at all travellers. It will offer a new experience that goes beyond simple transport between two points. Thanks to innovative partnershipsWe will be able to offer services prior to the trip, as well as during the trip, including visits and activities such as exclusive experiencesThese services will be available at the time of booking or afterwards. These services will be available at the time of booking or afterwards, on an à la carte basis. They will enable everyone to tailor their trip to their needs.
Joon will offer an experience that goes beyond simple transport between two points.
Do you think the rise of long-haul low-cost airlines will have as big an impact as low-cost traffic has had on a European scale?
F. T. - First of all, it is important to remember that Joon is not a low-cost airline. It will offer something original and innovative. So we're not pursuing a low-cost strategy. We've chosen to differentiate ourselves through the quality of our offering, one of the largest networks in the world, genuine customer care and a commitment to innovation. a certain French art of travelling. We must therefore continue to make the most of our strengths while improving efficiency. As far as the future of the market is concerned, we have recently seen a rise in the low-cost trend on long-haul flights. However, we must not lose sight of this, this model is not infalliblerecent results from Norwegian are evidence of this. It is difficult to say what the long-term impact of this trend will be. But one thing is certain: it should encourage us to question ourselves and to innovate constantly in all areas in order to maintain our position in the market and regain our leadership.
Air France obviously remains your group's flagship airline. Are you planning any new routes?
F. T. - Air France remains the group's flagship airline, and in a way the Joon's big sister. For the winter 2017 season, Air France is opening new destinations and strengthening certain services, such as the Maldives from November or Costa Rica with additional flights this winter. Other highlights include Nairobi or the extension of the service to Chicago.
Will the company continue to move upmarket?
F. T. - Quality of service and customer comfort are a priority for us. It is the Air France signature. We are therefore continuing to invest in a multi-year plan to refurbish our cabins and modernise our fleet. Today, a large part of our Boeing 777 is equipped with the new Air France travel cabin for optimum comfort. Visit 2018 and 2020will be the cabins of the Airbus A330 and Boeing 777 dedicated to the Caribbean and Indian Ocean network, which will be modernised. At the same time, we are modernising our fleet with the arrival of new aircraft, notably Boeing 787s. By the end of the year, we will have five latest-generation B787s.
Chatbot, selfie IDAmazon's Alexa voice assistant, WiFi on board: through your initiatives, you are building the travel of tomorrow. Will digital technology revolutionise the Air France experience?
F. T. - Absolutely. Innovation is everywhere, all the time, and digital innovation in particular is one of the keys to creating the travel of tomorrow. It's essential if we are to regain our leadership position. But above all, it's a fantastic tool for offering an ever more comprehensive and personalised service. It's a revolution. With mobile technologies, our customers have tools at their fingertips that can accompany them at all times. Artificial intelligence, virtual reality, big data are all levers for creating the best possible travel experience. This is already a reality and we are working on projects for the years to come. Joon will be a laboratory for us, with original initiatives that could, why not, be deployed later on at Air France.
How do you see the future of partnerships between major companies?
F. T. - We are convinced that this is a major strategic asset. For many years now, we have been weaving and consolidated alliances These strong alliances enable us to offer our customers more opportunities to travel around the world and to establish our presence on every continent. Recently, we announced the strengthening of some of our alliances with the creation of a new transatlantic joint venture with Delta and Virgin Atlantic. We have consolidated our joint venture with China Eastern. These agreements will enable us to expand into very buoyant markets, particularly for business travel. Developing our partnerships through joint ventures, as well as code-share agreements, is a key part of our strategic plan. Demand in the airline sector is global, and it is essential for us to be able to meet it.
Key dates
|
