Since 1997, Air France has continually modernized its fleet, which today boasts an average age of 9 years, one of the youngest in Europe.
Air France’s investment in modern, state-of-the-art aircraft, has led to some spectacular savings in fuel consumption, and improved its environmental performance.
For example, the Airbus A318s, operational since October 2003 when they replaced older aircraft, have enabled Air France to save 12% in fuel consumption per passenger.
The biggest savings concern the long-haul fleet. Pending the entry into service of the Airbus A380, which will lead to even greater fuel savings with a 16% gain per seat compared to the most recent Boeing 747-400s of its fleet, Air France announced a vast programme to replace its older generation Boeing 747s with new Boeing 777s.
This programme concerns not only passenger transport but also cargo.
Since 2006, seven Boeing 777-300ERs have been gradually phased in on the French Caribbean/Réunion/French Guyana routes. Each of the aircraft will save about 18,000 tons of fuel per year (26% less than the 747-300s).
As for cargo, the eight Boeing 747 Freighter currently operated by Air France will be gradually replaced by the Boeing 777Fs starting in 2008, with fuel gains of 18%.
This modernization process is nevertheless costly. The programme is wholly financed by Air France, thanks to its very good economic performance, which translates into heavy investments: 1.5 billion euros for fiscal 2005/2006, 1.2 billion euros in 2006/2007 and 1.2 billion euros in 2007/2008.
By enabling airlines to save on fuel, these investments will create a virtuous circle of sustainable growth, reconciling environmental and economic interests.
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