Airline Profile: Air France
Air France is the principal French carrier operating domestic and world-wide scheduled passenger and cargo services to 98 countries throughout Europe, Africa, the Middle East and the Far East, the Americas, Caribbean and Indian Ocean.
History
Founded in August 1933 when the Société Centrale pour l'Exploitation de Lignes Aériennes purchased the assets of Compagnie Générale Aéropostale. After the Second World War, the French air transport industry was nationalised resulting in the Société Nationale Air France, established on 1 January 1946, followed by Compagnie Nationale Air France on 16 June 1948.
On 12 January 1990 the operations of all government-owned airlines; Air France, Air Inter, Air Charter and UTA, were merged into the Air France Group and a new group holding company, Groupe Air France SA was set up by decree on 25 July 1994, holding majority shareholdings in both Air France and Air Inter (later renamed Air France Europe). In 1997, Air France Europe was fully absorbed into Air France.
On 10 February 1999 the airline was partially privatised on the Paris Stock Exchange. The French government retained a controlling interest of 62 per cent, which was later reduced to 55.9 per cent.
Air France became a founder member of SkyTeam alliance together with Delta Air Lines, Aeromexico and Korean Air in June 2000.
Merger
On 30 September 2003, Air France and KLM announced a merger through a share exchange, and an agreement for KLM to join the SkyTeam alliance and in May 2004 the merger was completed after a successful share exchange, with the creation of the Air France-KLM Group.
Each airline retained their brands with passengers able to benefit from co-ordinated schedules throughout their entire route networks.
In December 2004 the French State sold 18.4 per cent of its equity stake in the Air France-KLM Group, reducing its stake to under 20 per cent.
One of the first key outcomes of the Air France/KLM combination was the inauguration, in the spring of 2005 of the joint frequent flyer programme: "Flying Blue", the first of its kind, which had more than ten million members at the outset.
On 24 December 2007 the Air France-KLM Group agreed terms to acquire VLM Airlines through its Irish subsidiary, CityJet.
On 16 March 2008 the Alitalia Board accepted a conditional takeover offer from Air France-KLM. The offer was however withdrawn on 21 April 2008.
VLM became part of the Group in 2008. In January 2009 it was announced that Air France-KLM would become Alitalia's strategic partner, taking a 25 per cent equity stake at a cost of €323 million (US $431 million).
Fleet
- 147x Airbus A320 family
- 16x Airbus A330
- 19x Airbus A340
- 19x Boeing 747
- 51x Boeing 777
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