Air France to reduce capacity by 0.9% over Summer 2010

Air France stated (26-Mar-2010) it would reduce capacity (ASKs) for the Summer Season 2010 by 0.9% year-on-year and confirmed that, at the end of the season, its long-haul fleet (with the exception of B777s operating on the Caribbean-Indian Ocean network and the A380s in service) will be fitted with the new Premium Voyageur cabin class. Details of the new Schedule are as follows- see Route Changes Table for more information:

• Medium-haul network: Capacity (ASKs) has been reduced by 3.7%, with the carrier commenting that this sector's results have been in "constant decline for several years" and have been made worse by the economic crisis. The carrier has retired 16 aircraft from the medium-haul fleet;
• Long-haul network: Will marginally increase capacity (up 0.1%), with the carrier adding that without the introduction of Premium Voyageur, capacity would have increased by 3.2%. Further details include:

• North America: Adding three frequencies to San Francisco (for ten times weekly frequency) between 22-Jun-2010 and 04-Sep-2010;
• Chile: Introducing an additional frequency to Santiago in Sep-2010 for a total of six per week;
• Brazil: Will operate 12 times weekly to Sao Paulo with B777 equipment, with the 13th weekly frequency scheduled for Sep-2010;
• Boliva: Due to the crisis that has hit Venezuela and the devaluation of the local currency, Air France will reduce capacity to Caracas, by deploying A330-200s on the route;
• Asia: The carrier will add A380 equipment to Tokyo at the end of Summer 2010, when there will be a twice weekly service (an A380 and a B777-300). Until then, Air France will still operate 27 weekly services on the route, including daily codeshare service with Japan Airlines;
• India: Services to Bangalore will be reduced from daily to six times weekly;
• Africa: Capacity up 2.9%, due to additional frequencies to several destinations, namely Bangui (twice weekly), Lomé (four times weekly), Pointe Noire (four times weekly) and Libreville on condition that traffic rights are obtained from the authorities in Gabon (five times weekly). The carrier also plans to launch twice weekly service to Bata, subject to regulatory approvals. During the Summer peak periods, services to Ouagadougou (daily) and Niamey (three times weekly) will be disconnected. Meanwhile, services to Johannesburg will be operated daily in A380 instead of 12 weekly frequencies in B777. During the five weeks of the FIFA World Cup, Air France will operate an additional 3 daily flights to Johannesburg;
• Middle East: To increase frequencies to Beirut (14 weekly services operated by Air France in addition to a further 14 operated by MEA on a codeshare basis). From 03-May-2010, the carrier will resume Paris-Abu Dhabi service with five times weekly frequency, although services to Dubai will be reduced from 12 times weekly (Summer 2009) to daily;
• Caribbean: Havana will have daily B747-400 service (an additional frequency) and the seating available on Cayenne services will be increased due to larger capacity B777-300) aircraft. In the Indian Ocean, Air France has reduced frequency to Reunion by one (to nine times weekly);

• International medium-haul schedule: Capacity to be reduced by 4.7%:

• Paris Charles de Gaulle: Service to Munster, Trieste and Shannon will be suspended, while frequency to Dublin (from six to seven times daily) will be increased. Frequency to Athens will be reduced from five to four times daily;
• Lyon: There will be an additional frequency from Lyon to Barcelona (three times daily). Copenhagen now has a daily service without a stopover in Strasbourg. Frequencies to Amsterdam (three times daily) and Hamburg (twice daily) are being reduced;
• Netherlands: 12 daily services will be operated between Paris-CDG and Amsterdam Schiphol (six operated by Air France and six by KLM) and an additional frequency has been added between Strasbourg and Amsterdam (three times daily) and between Nice and Amsterdam (four times daily);
• Alitalia. Cooperation schedule between France and Italy is being developed. Between Paris and Milan, for the same number of frequencies, Paris-CDG-Malpensa has 4 flights operated by Air France, Paris-CDG -Linate has 3 flights operated by Air France and 4 by Alitalia and Paris-Orly-Linate has two flights operated by Alitalia. There are 12 flights a day to Rome, 6 by Air France and 6 by Alitalia.
• London City: Services to Strasbourg, Nice and Paris-CDG will be halted while a new service to Paris Orly will be launched (six times weekly);
• Commercial Agreements: Signed with Alitalia for service to Milan (a new Paris Charles de Gaulle-Baris service will also be operated daily by Alitalia), with Baboo for services to Geneva and with Tarom for the Bucarest-Lyon and Bucarest-Nice.

• Domestic Flight Schedule: Capacity to be reduced by 2.2%. Other key changes include the suspension of Paris Charles de Gaulle-Pau service (three times daily), with services from Paris Orly to Lannion and Limoges to be halted. Services from Lyon to Rouen and Le Havre have also been halted, while services to Strasbourg have been reduced from five to three times daily. [more]