Air France-KLM Group capacity is to increase by just 0.7% for the winter schedule with some French domestic and regional services being axed.
Within this, budget arm Transavia will see a 13.3% increase – with a focus on France – while regular point-to-point short and medium-haul capacity will drop by 11.3% from October 26.
The move follows a damaging pilots’ strike which cost Air France millions of euros in a dispute over expansion of Transavia as part of a ‘Perform 202’ transformation plan.
Domestic Air France services are being cut with the aim to return to breaking even by 2017.
Paris-Orly will lose a daily flight to Bordeaux and two daily frequencies to Toulouse while services from Toulouse and Marseille to several destinations in Europe and North Africa are being suspended.
Group chairman and chief executive Alexandre de Juniac said, “Our ambition is clear: to develop, as part of the deployment of our growth and competitiveness plan Perform 2020, an airline group that is among the industry leaders.”
“To win back all of our markets, we need to take action on two major, complementary areas.”
“Firstly, we must continue the move upmarket of all our products and services, to return as soon as possible to the highest international level.”
“Secondly, we must accelerate the development of our ‘low-cost leisure’ activity, with the strong growth of Transavia in France.”
Miami and Abidjan will gain Airbus A380 superjumbo services in addition to Los Angeles, New York, Johannesburg, Hong Kong and Shanghai.