Air France, KLM celebrate milestones

It was a celebration of history, but a lot of the conversation at last night's Air France-KLM event in Toronto was focused on the future of these airlines in Canada.

"We are proud to be a part of history, but we don't rely only on this because we know that we have to be highly competitive with high-profile product," said recently appointed Vice-President and General Manager Jean-Noel Rault.

Industry partners joined him and other members of the team for a celebration of KLM's 95th anniversary - an impressive feat for an airline - and 80 years of Air France. Each have been flying to Canada for 40 years and 65 years respectively.

Rault addressed guests first by acknowledging and apologizing for the recent service disruption that occurred as the result of an Air France pilots' strike. But with the forward-thinking approach, he noted that a deal has been made that will mean such a situation will not occur again.

Since taking on the role in July following the reassignment of his predecessor Fabien Pelous, the GM has been evaluating the Canadian marketplace, and although he recognizes the intense competition, he said Air France-KLM is experiencing a "historical presence" here. In fact, this remains among the top markets for the airlines with service from Toronto and Montreal primarily, in addition to Calgary and Vancouver.

At this point, he is focused on the opportunity for further growth in Western Canada and said they are working on an "aggressive strategy" to make that happen.

"Canada is a market that we have to continue to develop," he said.

A code-share agreement with WestJet remains imperative, as they help feed the Air France-KLM network from various cities across the country.  

KLM will retire its MD11 aircraft on Oct. 25 - final flights taking place from Toronto and Montreal - which will be replaced by the Boeing 747 which is equipped with the latest World Business Class lie-flat seat. The B747-Combi with 268 passengers (35 Business) will fly on Thursdays and Saturdays, while a B747-400 with some 408 seats (35 Business) will fly the rest of the week.

As for Air France, Toronto service will move to a daily A340-300 with some 275 seats, also true for service from Montreal, which will also be served by B747-400 all winter (432 seats).

According to Rault, the onboard product and service is key to the Air France-KLM difference, and the airlines continue to evolve their method of communicating that message with consumers. As an example, KLM made headlines with a viral video showcasing a dog returning lost items to passengers.

To mark the airline's milestone, A "95 Years” logo has been revealed on a KLM MD-11 aircraft. From this day on and for the duration of KLM’s anniversary, one aircraft of each type in the intercontinental fleet (Boeing 777-300/200, 747-400, 747 Combi, and Airbus 330-200/300) will display the logo on its fuselage.

About Rault

In accepting the job in Canada, Rault left his post as director of customer contact center, web support and social media with the airline in Paris. He joined Air France in 1989. Over the years, his career has taken him to various destinations - Constantine, Bucharest, Prague, Riyadh, Noumea and Abidjan - where he has held various positions. Prior to working for Air France, he was a sales representative for KLM in Paris and Brittany.