The leading growth area for AIR FRANCE KLM

The Americas is the leading growth area for AIR FRANCE KLM and generates a quarter of the Group’s passenger revenues. Air France and KLM serve 32 destinations in 13 countries.

Thanks to the “open skies” agreement between the EU and US signed in April 2007, Air France will benefit from enhanced access to some of the world’s fastest-growing markets in North America. On 17 October 2007, Air France and Delta signed a joint-venture agreement which, once it comes into effect during summer 2008, will enable both airlines to increase their revenue and offer customers a wider choice of flight options and frequencies on the major North Atlantic routes.

On the Latin America network, AIR FRANCE KLM is one of Europe’s leading airlines, with 16.7% of market share. The Group flies to 12 destinations and serves 11 countries. Both airlines’ flight schedules are perfectly complementary: the destinations are either served by Air France or by KLM, with the exception of Sao Paulo, which is served by both airlines in order to meet strong demand from business travellers.

2008 summer schedule

The implementation of the Air France-Delta Joint Venture agreement will enable Air France to reinforce its services among the hubs on both sides of the Atlantic, and to launch joint operations with Delta at London-Heathrow, thus taking advantage of the Open Skies agreement between Europe and the United States.

Offering more services between Delta’s hubs (Atlanta, New York JFK, Cincinnati and Salt lake City) and those of Air France (Paris CDG, Paris Orly and Lyon) translates into the opening of new routes by Delta on a code-share basis with Air France: CDG-Salt Lake City, Orly-JFK and Lyon-JFK. But the biggest new feature is the launch of joint operations by Air France and Delta from London Heathrow.  Air France will be offering a daily B777-200 flight to Los Angeles and Delta is launching two daily flights to New York JFK and one to Altanta, all on a code-share basis.

The Open Skies agreement between Europe and the United States gives Air France the opportunity of establishing itself in London, Europe’s biggest market, by launching non-stop flights to North America.  At the same time, it will continue to provide efficient services to other long-haul destinations via the Group’s two continental hubs: Schiphol and Paris-Charles de Gaulle. In addition, Air France is also reinforcing its position in London City on medium-haul routes.

Furthermore, thanks to the phasing in of reciprocal code-sharing with Delta as from summer 2008, one out of every four flights between Europe and the USA will carry the Air France flight number.

Air France is continuing to expand in in Latin America (up 6.1%) with an increase in capacity to Mexico and the separation of flights to Buenos Aires and Santiago.