Air France to overhaul short-haul business
Air France's plans to turn around its short-haul business includes eliminating ground-based cleaning staff, which should allow the airline to decrease time spent on the tarmac and increase aircraft utilisation (Bloomberg, 08-Jul-2011). Air France, is facing increasing competition from LCCs in its domestic market, most notably from easyJet, Ryanair and Vueling. France has Europe's lowest-penetration of low-cost carriers. Under the plan, cabin crews would take on the duty of cleaning aircraft. Also included in the plan is shifting part part of Air France's A320 fleet from Paris to Marseille, Nice and Toulouse, increasing services from these regional points to north Africa, eastern Europe and Nordic countries. Staff will be relocated to these airports and are expected to work longer hours. The SNPNC cabin-crew union has rejected the plan. The SNPL pilots' union accepted the strategy.