Air France is trimming its fleet, reducing long-haul service
and cutting 2,900 jobs as part of an accelerated cost-cutting plan announced
Monday.
Besieged by growing competition from low-cost carriers and
fast-growing long-haul networks like the Middle Eastern carriers, it plans to
cut long-haul capacity by about 10 percent by 2017, which amounts to a 2
percent reduction in the Air France-KLM network's business. Air France will
remove five routes entirely and eliminate 35 frequencies on other routes,
largely flights to Asia and the Middle East, where losses are highest.
Over a similar period, Air France will reduce its long-haul
aircraft fleet from 107 to 93. The carrier will accelerate the retirement of
Airbus A340s and cancel orders of the Boeing 787s that were to replace them.
The job cuts will include about 300 pilots, 900 cabin crewmembers
and 1,700 ground staff positions.
Air France executives had to abandon their meeting
discussing the cuts on Monday after protesting workers stormed its headquarters
and assaulted two human resources executives, according to The Wall Street Journal. The carrier is negotiating with pilots to
accept longer hours at the same salary.