Air France to fly higher
(CHEN QIDE)
04/19/2002
Marc Bailliart, Air France China general manager, has announced that the airline would increase the number of flights from Shanghai to Paris. Bailliart was on a tour of Shanghai recently.From this summer, Air France will have five, instead of three, flights a week on the Shanghai-Paris route. Two additional Airbus 340 flights will code-share with China Eastern, helping the airline to offer daily direct flights. The new Air France Boeing 777 will be introduced on this route, offering the latest aviation technology with better facilities. "We've done a lot in the past and we'll do more in the future to continue as the preferred European airline of our Chinese customers," Bailliart said. Air France decided to target the Shanghai market because of the increasing number of Shanghainese travelling to Europe. "The door from Europe to China, and vice versa, now opens wider to businessmen and travellers," said Jean Louis Prades, regional manager of Air France Shanghai and Central China. Chinese customers at present make up more than 60 per cent of the Air France's market share on the Shanghai-Paris route. The passenger load rate has exceeded 80 per cent, Prades said. With more flights, the total capacity will increase by 50 per cent, compared to last winter. "The Shanghai market is booming," Prades said. Air France, in China for over 35 years, has had an increasing number of Chinese customers. The booming business calls for further investment in the route, Bailliart said. Though he didn't give details, he said more flights might be added and big aircraft used to provide more seats to meet the increasing needs for business and leisure travel between Shanghai and Paris. To meet the increasing number of passengers, the airline plans to introduce reservation operation centre service in China after trying it out first in Europe and the United States. It will inform passengers of flight delays and cancellations. The company has launched an "Inflight Asia" project, to encourage cabin crew members to visit Asian cities, to learn more about the varied cultures and lifestyle and nuances of their passengers. A group of 13 cabin crew dedicated to the China route is at present studying the Chinese language, history, culture and philosophy.
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