One of the largest fleets in Europe
At December 31, 2012, the Air France-KLM group fleet comprised 605 aircraft, of which 573 were operational.
A continued pro-active fleet policy
The Air France-KLM Group pursued its pro-active fleet policy aimed at ensuring a fleet scaled in line with traffic growth and achieving technical consistency, while reducing its environmental impact. The same four key principles guided the Air France-KLM Group’s fleet policy:
- meet the need for fleet renewal and expansion;
- remain compatible with the Group’s financial capacity;
- preserve the asset value of the fleet over the medium and long term;
- retain an adequate level of flexibility in the fleet plan.
During 2012, in line with previous commitments, 25 aircraft entered the fleet including 20 new aircraft delivered from the manufacturers, while 29 aircraft were withdrawn. The Air France-KLM group thus continued to modernize its fleet while also managing a reduction in its medium-haul and regional fleet by eight aircraft as the initial phase in Air France’s Transform 2015 plan.
At December 31, 2012, 40% of the total Group fleet was fully owned (45% at December 31, 2011), 22% under finance lease (19% at December 31, 2011), and 38% under operating lease (36% at December 31, 2011).
A further adjustment in the aircraft delivery schedule and investment, while safeguarding the future
The main change relative to the previous year unfolded within the context of a reduction in long-haul activity growth as a direct result of the economic downturn and pursuant to the transformation plan.
A first joint order for long-haul aircraft at Air France and KLM
In November 2011, within the framework of its fleet policy, Air France-KLM announced a joint order for 110 Airbus A350 and Boeing B787 aircraft (50 firm orders and 60 options), subject to the finalization of discussions with the manufacturers. This order is to replace, over the medium term, the 200/350-seater aircraft currently in the Group’s fleet and, over the long term, support the growth in the Group’s activity. In late December 2011, the Group signed a contract with Boeing placing firm orders for 25 B787-9 aircraft with options on an additional 25. Negotiations with the Boeing B787-9 engine manufacturers are ongoing and should be concluded in 2013. Regarding the Airbus A350s, discussions are also continuing and should be finalized in 2013.
