With the upcoming arrival of a third aircraft, The Company continues its development while focusing on targeted growth. The French airline specialising in 100% business class transatlantic flights will notably launch a new route between New York and Düsseldorf, banking on the economic potential of North Rhine-Westphalia and on a business and leisure clientele. Christian Vernet, CEO of La Compagnie, looks back at this choice, growth prospects and developments in the offering.
Why did you choose Düsseldorf as the new European destination from New York?
Christian Vernet- The arrival of our third aircraft, scheduled for between late 2026 and early 2027, has led us to consider the best use of this additional capacity. We had the choice between strengthening an existing frequency, particularly to Paris or Milan, or opening a new destination. We chose this second option in order to offer more possibilities to our American B2B clientele. Our network performs well, but remains limited by its size. For certain large accounts, this geographical coverage can constitute a barrier to entry.
So we studied several European capitals and major cities by analysing the existing traffic, the economic situation, GDP per capita, competition, seasonality and the proportion of business and leisure customers. Düsseldorf ultimately emerged as a particularly attractive option.
There has been no direct flight between Düsseldorf and the United States for a few years now. Why was this absence seen as an opportunity?
Christian Vernet- Precisely because this absence did not necessarily reflect the true potential of the market. Indirect traffic data was not sufficient to make Düsseldorf stand out at first glance. But by conducting an in-depth market analysis, we saw what Düsseldorf and its region represent economically.
North Rhine-Westphalia alone generates around 2% of Germany's GDP and benefits from a very strong industrial base, particularly in metallurgy, chemicals, telecommunications and manufacturing in the broad sense. Around 1,700 American companies are also established in the region, which generates significant trade between the two markets.
Is the business clientele the main driver of the project?
Christian Vernet- It is indeed an essential element. To better identify with business travellers, we tested our future route via the major European hubs. We all found that the experience could be particularly complicated: delays, missed connections, long distances to walk through terminals... For a professional clientele looking for reliability and comfort, this is not an ideal solution. Düsseldorf therefore makes it possible to respond directly to this demand with a direct transatlantic connection.
Is the potential equally significant in the leisure segment?
Christian Vernet- Yes, because one must not underestimate Germany's appeal to American travellers. They come for the history, culture, music, art, but also for family or business ties.
La Compagnie's American leisure clientele also remains very international. Our passengers stay in Europe for an average of three weeks and can easily imagine an itinerary combining several countries. Düsseldorf can therefore be an interesting gateway to Germany and Western Europe, particularly with tour possibilities to Paris, Nice or other destinations.
What will the flight schedule be in Düsseldorf?
Christian Vernet- We are planning five flights a week all year round departing from New York.
Will you also strengthen Nice?
Christian Vernet- Nice remains an important destination for us. We have had a presence there since 2019 and currently operate four flights a week. We will increase this to five frequencies next year. This winter, we will operate two frequencies a week. We will thus be the only carrier to offer a year-round New York-Nice service.
What is the current state of the transatlantic market between Europe and the United States?
Christian Vernet- The situation is mixed. On the European leisure market to the United States, we are seeing a certain distancing from the momentum that existed previously. The decline can be significant depending on the market.
By contrast, the American leisure market to Europe continues to grow. For La Compagnie, sales for the 2025-26 financial year are around 7% higher than those of the previous year, alongside a slight increase in our capacity. On a comparable capacity basis, we are therefore also recording growth.
In the corporate segment, European businesses remain more cautious. Economic and trade uncertainty, particularly surrounding potential tariffs, does not necessarily encourage them to make long-term commitments.
American B2B, on the other hand, generally continues to come to Europe. Milan, for example, remains relatively resilient thanks to its fashion and design-related business.
Could this falling out of love with the United States accelerate your thinking on new North American destinations, such as Toronto?
Christian Vernet- We are looking into the matter. Toronto is a very busy city and Canada presents an interest in the current context. But we need aircraft to open new routes.
Our fourth aircraft will arrive in June 2028. It will be an A321XLR, with a greater range, which will open up new possibilities. Toronto is among the markets we can look at, even if current volumes are not yet extraordinary.
What other destinations could be considered in the medium term with the A321XLR?
Christian Vernet- San Francisco is a possibility. The aircraft can operate the Paris-San Francisco route, even though certain constraints may exist when winds are particularly unfavourable.
Boston is also among the markets that can be considered, just like Austin. There are then other possibilities, notably in Asia. Beijing or Tokyo could be considered when market conditions are more favourable.
We are also looking at certain destinations in the Middle East, such as Abu Dhabi. But these markets are more complex due to regulatory and economic factors. We favour regions where operating conditions offer a certain stability.
And in France, could Lyon or Toulouse become destinations for La Compagnie?
Christian Vernet- Past experiences of links between Lyon and the United States have not always been successful. In theory, traffic exists, but the market remains difficult.
Geneva is also interesting, but regulations do not currently allow us to operate a direct service there as we would like to. These are therefore markets that we continue to watch, but our immediate priority remains Düsseldorf.
Does the company's growth remain cautious?
Christian Vernet- We do indeed wish to pursue «reasonable» growth. Nevertheless, the larger La Compagnie grows, the more interesting the complementarities within the network will become, particularly for major B2B players and international companies.
The aim is not to announce destinations ten years in advance. We want to identify markets that show real potential and develop them as our fleet allows.
What new features can passengers expect on board?
Christian Vernet- We have no product «revolution» to announce at this stage. Nevertheless, we continue to improve the in-flight experience. For example, we regularly work on the menus with chefs. The new aircraft benefit from the latest IFE developments, including a new version of the entertainment system and Bluetooth. The seat remains the same, but the space will be slightly improved. We have also integrated phone chargers and a stand to make it easier to position a tablet.
Our Wi-Fi has been working very well since 2019 and we have not, at this stage, planned to change the system.
And what about the New York lounge?
Christian Vernet- We took over a lounge in New York about a year and a half ago and we are currently finishing its modernisation. The work is due to finish in a few weeks.
This is a private lounge for La Compagnie. This fully contributes to our promise of making things easier: when the passenger has to board, they can quickly reach the aircraft and leave a few minutes later. This is exactly the kind of experience we want to offer our customers.
