What does the arrival of this A350 in Air Caraïbes colours mean for passengers?
Marc Rochet - For Air Caraïbes customers, this guarantees a level of comfort linked to the technology of this aircraft: the A350 is much quieter, cabin pressurisation is less tiring, and cabin air renewal is greater. This is noticeable on long flights. The entertainment system, already exceptional, will be enhanced in a few weeks' time by in-flight connectivity.
What about Air Caraïbes staff?
Marc Rochet - When aircraft are less tiring and less noisy, commercial crews can offer a better service. In the cockpit, pilots are also equipped with the best navigation tools.
What impact do you expect this to have on the company?
Marc Rochet - First of all, there's the citizen aspect, with a reduced carbon footprint. The aircraft consumes 20% less fuel, makes less noise on take-off, and is less of a nuisance to local residents. Air Caraïbes is therefore expecting brilliant results from this A350, particularly in terms of savings. It is also an opportunity for the airline to generate growth, reflected in the recruitment of more than 160 flight crews, as well as people on the ground.
I don't buy aircraft to scare off the competition
Is being the first French airline to fly the A350 a marketing ploy for passengers, or a thumb in the nose at Air France?
Marc Rochet - What interests us is not so much our position in relation to our competitors, even though we do of course take this into account in our management, it is above all our positioning in relation to our customers. Is Air Caraïbes able to fill its planes? The answer is yes. Are customers satisfied overall? Yes. Are we making money with our aircraft? We've shown it with the A330, and we'll show it with the A350. I don't buy aircraft to scare the competition, or to please them either. We just want to do the best job possible.
Nevertheless, there is a certain pride in being "pioneers" on the A350...
Marc Rochet - Yes, it symbolically shows that we have come out of this phase in which air transport was dominated by Air France.
Aren't you going to be cramped at Orly with the arrival of these new aircraft?
Marc Rochet - Orly is a very beautiful airport. We have obtained our slots to operate our flights: that's enough.
Are you planning any new destinations for Air Caraïbes or French Blue?
Marc Rochet - At Air Caraïbes, we are continuing to develop our existing network. We recently launched our flights to Cuba, we are stepping up our service to Havana, and we are going to strengthen the link to French Guiana. As for French Blue, it will be Réunion from this summer, also with A350s.
French Blue's real launch will take place this summer in Réunion
Can you give us an initial assessment a few months after the launch of French Blue?
Marc Rochet - Everything is going well. We started with a blank sheet of paper to create a long-haul low-cost airline. At the time, a lot of people were wondering. Now everyone is starting to realise that it's a reality in the market. The operational and economic part has been broken in. The commercial run-in is underway on Punta Cana, and French Blue's real take-off will be this summer on Reunion Island.
Are you thinking of launching French Blue with a more mixed clientele, both leisure and business, such as the United States?
Marc Rochet - Not in the short term. We'll see later. For now, we're staying focused on what we know how to do. And we're going to do it even better.
What do you think of Air France's Boost project?
Marc Rochet - Good luck to them...
What is the cost of transporting passengers from the provinces and Belgium via TGV Air?
Marc Rochet - We're delighted with this. A total of 17 destinations are concerned. At Orly, there will be a TGV connection in the medium term. This is important for us. We also think that, at some point, the French metropolitan network will open up a little more, with easyJet, Air France and others. We will then be able to benefit from connections that will be more 'self-connected' than traditional connectivity. Before, the airlines had to take care of everything. Now, passengers can do it themselves: they can buy a ticket from Toulouse to Paris, then from Paris to Point-à-Pitre.
