Air France-KLM Eyes Recent Widebodies For Future Fleet Needs

Air France-KLM has revealed plans to retire its older widebody fleet, in favor of more modern, fuel-efficient aircraft. The Franco-Dutch airline group already withdrew the mighty Airbus A380 and Boeing 747 from service following the pandemic, and is now planning to retire its aging Airbus A330s and Boeing 777s.

The group’s CEO, Ben Smith, told Bloomberg of the plans at IATA’s Annual General Meeting this week in Istanbul. Several aspects have spurred the drive for a more modern fleet. These range from a growing awareness of sustainability to the necessity for more fuel-efficient aircraft to operate routes to Asia, which at the moment are longer than before as a result of the closure of Russian airspace.

Speaking in regards to the prolonged flight routings, Smith said,

“A plane that’s optimized at 15 hours and one which’s optimized at 12 just isn’t necessarily the identical. So this, after all, now plays into the evaluation, where a 12 months and a half ago, that might not have been the case.”

Air France-KLM’s aging aircraft

The most recent data from ch-aviation.com shows that Air France’s fleet incorporates 15 Airbus A330-200s and 18 Boeing 777-200ERs, with a mean age of 20 and 23 years old, respectively.

Meanwhile, KLM operates six Airbus A330-200s, five Airbus A330-300s, and 15 Boeing 777-200ERs. These aircraft are barely younger than their Air France equivalents, with a mean age of 17, 11, and 18 years old, respectively.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, Air France’s youngest long-haul aircraft are its Airbus A350-900s, while over at KLM, it’s the Boeing 787-10. In terms of replacing the aging aircraft, it stays to be seen if the airlines will keep on with known types already of their fleets, or if they may go for a distinct alternative. The 2 carriers have operated each Airbus and Boeing aircraft for a few years now, so anything is feasible.

Easy Flying is on the IATA Annual General Meeting this week – keep a watch out for more news.

TAP Air Portugal takeover still on the cards

Along with revealing Air France-KLM’s future fleet plans, Smith also went on to reaffirm the group’s interest in acquiring TAP Air Portugal. From its hubs at Lisbon Airport (LIS) and Porto Airport (OPO), the Portuguese flag carrier operates to greater than ten destinations across Brazil, along with a handful of other long-haul routes throughout the Americas.

With its significant presence in Brazil, acquiring TAP Air Portugal would present Air France-KLM with the right opportunity to expand its South American network. The move could also turn Air France-KLM into the most important airline group in Europe, ahead of IAG and the Lufthansa Group.

What do you’re thinking that of Air France-KLM’s plans to retire its aging Airbus A330s and Boeing 777s? Have you ever flown on either of the aircraft recently? If that’s the case, how would you rate the onboard experience in comparison with the group’s more modern aircraft? Tell us by commenting below.

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• Air France

  IATA/ICAO Code:

  AF/AFR

  Airline Type:

  Full Service Carrier

  Hub(s):

  Paris Charles De Gaulle Airport

  12 months Founded:

  1933

  Alliance:

  SkyTeam

  Airline Group:

  Air France-KLM

  CEO:

  Anne Rigail

  Country:

  France

• KLM

  IATA/ICAO Code:

  KL/KLM

  Airline Type:

  Full Service Carrier

  Hub(s):

  Amsterdam Schiphol Airport

  12 months Founded:

  1919

  Alliance:

  SkyTeam

  Airline Group:

  Air France-KLM

  CEO:

  Marjan Rintel

  Country:

  Netherlands