On December 16, 2021, the Board of Directors of Air France-KLM took decisions reflecting the Group’s ambition to improve its economic and environmental performance through the use of the latest generation aircraft, signing a firm order and a Letter of Intention for Airbus products.
The group signed a firm order for 100 Airbus A320neo family aircraft – with acquisition rights for 60 additional aircraft, to renew the KLM and Transavia Netherlands fleets, and to renew and grow the Transavia France fleet.
This order relates to Airbus A320neo and Airbus A321neo. The first deliveries are expected in the second half of 2023.
Compared to the previous generation aircraft, they allow a unit cost reduction of over 10%, as well as a reduction in fuel consumption and CO2 emissions by 15%. Their noise footprint is also 50% lower.
The renewal of the fleet is the first lever for reducing CO2 emissions, with immediate effect. Alongside the use of sustainable aviation fuels and eco-piloting, it is one of the pillars of the Group’s decarbonization trajectory, which aims for zero net emissions by 2050, and -50% of CO2 emissions per passenger/km by 2030, a 15% reduction in absolute value.
These aircraft will provide medium-haul connections in Europe, in particular from Amsterdam-Schiphol, KLM hub and main base of Transavia Netherlands, and from Paris-Orly, the main base of Transavia France. Details of the cabin configuration will be communicated later.
Also, the group signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) for the acquisition of 4 Airbus A350F Cargo – with acquisition rights for 4 additional aircraft, to increase Air France’s cargo capacity.
In the context of a sustained and lasting increase in demand for the transport of goods by air, this order would increase Air France-KLM’s cargo capacity. Air France-KLM would be one of the launch operators of the A350F Cargo.
This order would be accompanied by conversion rights, making it possible to order instead of the A350F Cargo Airbus A350s in passenger configuration. The Airbus A350 is the new spearhead of Air France’s long-haul fleet. The company currently operates 12 of the 38 it has ordered.
Benjamin Smith, CEO of the Air France-KLM Group declared: “These scalable orders will position the Group’s airlines on the path to improving their performance while accelerating our decarbonization trajectory. This is a major step for KLM, for Transavia and for Air France, which will use the best aircraft available to meet their needs. The outstanding performance of the Airbus A320neo Family and the A350 Cargo, which are quieter, more fuel-efficient and have lower head office costs, make them the best choice for the long-term growth of our fleet. They will play a key role in achieving our ambitious goals, including achieving zero net CO 2 emissions by 2050. ”
As of December 15, 2021, Air France-KLM operated a fleet of 502 aircraft to more than 300 destinations around the world.
