AIR FRANCE KLM adjusts its summer schedule

FRANCE: The Air France KLM Group has adjusted its summer 2009 schedule (March 29 to Oct. 25) due to the sharp decline in demand caused by the global economic crisis.

"In terms of available seat kilometers *ASK*, Air France KLM Group capacity for the summer 2009 season will be down by -3.4 percent compared with summer 2008; - 3.4 percent on the long-haul network and -3.4 percent on the medium-haul network," it said.

Thanks to the complementarities of the Paris and Amsterdam hubs, Air France KLM Group customers will continue to benefit from a global network spread over the five continents.

Faced with reducing demand, Air France is adjusting capacity on all networks, particularly noticeable on routes to North America and Asia, as well as on domestic routes.

In total, capacity (expressed in ASK) will be reduced by 2.7 percent for the summer 2009 season, down 2.5 percent on the long-haul network and down 3.1 percent on the short/medium-haul network.

It says that this adjustment to capacity is the result of a route rationalization policy aimed at reducing the number of flights rather than closing routes. - JP