Air France 2009 Annual Report Download - page 22

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A modern fleet
At March 31, the Air France-KLM group’s fleet
comprised 641 aircraft, of which 621 in
operation. The main fleet consists of
429 aircraft, of which 164 are long-haul aircraft,
29 cargo aircraft and 236 medium-haul aircraft.
The regional fleet comprises 212 aircraft.
With an average age of around ten years,
the Group’s fleet is one of the youngest in the
business. It is also amongst the most up-to-
date in Europe thanks to a long-standing
commitment to renewal and modernization.
In 2008-09, 17 new aircraft entered the fleet
while 15 older aircraft were withdrawn.
Air France and KLM have opted for technical
consistency, the aim being the economies of
scale and versatility that come from focusing
on the same aircraft families. This enables
a reduction in unit costs on crew training,
maintenance and spare parts. The Group also
seeks to preserve the fleet’s asset value in
choosing models offering long-term operating
potential. The medium-haul fleet, for example,
is built around the Airbus A318 to A321 aircraft
family at Air France and the Boeing B737-300
to 900 family at KLM. Nearly half the long-haul
fleet is comprised of Boeing B777-200s and
300s. With 68 aircraft, the Group operates the
largest fleet of this aircraft type world-wide.
Air France-KLM is committed to reducing the
impact of its activities on climate change and
one of the levers used to respect this
commitment is the choice of modern aircraft.
In eight years, the average fuel performance of
the Group’s aircraft, measured in liters per
passenger carried over 100 kilometers, has
improved by 12%, falling from 4.3 to 3.8 liters.
The advantages of a modern
fleet
The Group has consistently invested in new
aircraft and currently operates one of the
most streamlined and modern fleets in the
airline industry. This investment has a triple
advantage in enabling the group to:

in-flight comfort

maintenance costs

commitments in reducing greenhouse gas
emissions and noise pollution for local
residents in airport zones.
The advantages of a modern fleet, managed in a flexible
manner
Purchasing aircraft is a highly complex business requiring a 20-year
commitment. The fleet policy must thus ensure a fleet scaled in line with the
growth in traffic and deliver technical consistency while reducing the impact
on the environment.
20 Air-France KLM - Annual report 2008-09