Air France aims to launch Boost with five A320s

Air France has given more details of its Boost project, revealing plans to launch the new airline with five Airbus A320s in winter 2017. The Boost project was unveiled as part of an Air France strategic plan in November 2016 in a bid to regain the offensive in the face of strong Gulf carrier competition and to stem losses on Air France’s weakest long-haul routes. Air France is still waiting on agreement from its pilots, but chairman Jean-Marc Janaillac gave more information on the plans. Under the current plan, Boost’s real name will be revealed in summer 2017, paving the way for an operational launch in winter 2017. The airline will start with a fleet of fives A320s or A321s, serving three to five routes and feeding the group’s European hubs. Destinations such as Turkey, Spain, Italy and Germany are being considered. This will be followed by a long-haul launch in summer 2018, most likely with three wet-leased Air France A340s as an interim measure before Air France’s order for 21 A350s begins to deliver in August 2019. The A340s will be freed up as Air France transitions to its new Boeing 787s. At the same time, Boost’s mid-haul fleet will be stepped up to 10 aircraft. By 2020, Janaillac said the new airline will operate 28 aircraft, 10 long-haul and 18 medium-haul, representing about 8% of Air France’s 350-aircraft fleet and 10% of the group’s flying. <br/>