Air France To Launch New Boost Airline

Air France will launch its lower cost ‘Boost’ airline this year after pilots voted to approve an agreement with the company.

The SNPL pilot union said just over 78 percent voted to accept the terms of the Trust Together agreement, on an 82.8 percent turnout.

Air France welcomed the result saying it paves the way for the creation of the new airline in the autumn. It said the agreement will be effective as soon as it is signed.

“I welcome the spirit of responsibility shown by the Air France pilots,” Air France-KLM chief executive Jean-Marc Janaillac said. “This agreement is the result of lengthy negotiations, which have resulted in a balanced compromise in favour of the interests of the company and all its employees.”

The SNPL union said the agreement “endorses real productivity efforts” of up to EUR€40 million (USD$46.1 million) a year. It also “aims to stop the process of outsourcing our production to the Netherlands.”

Boost is Air France-KLM’s answer to the success of low cost airlines as some LCCs move from their traditional short-haul operations into medium and long-haul flying. It will operate 18 medium-haul and 10 long-haul aircraft after Air France agreed to limit the size of the new airline.

The SNPL union said it will sign the agreement “in the coming hours” after the successful vote.