French Transport Minister Elisabeth Borne wants Air France KLM's new boss to roll out a development plan fast AFP/JOEL SAGET Benjamin Smith made the pledge in a video message to staff as he officially took up his new position as chief executive at the French-Dutch airline. His fixed salary is 900,000 euros (US$1 million) a year, but his total compensation can reach as high as 4.25 million if performance targets are met. The pay package was roundly criticised by unions, as it is more than three times the amount paid to Smith's French predecessor, who quit in May after gambling his job on getting staff to accept a pay deal that was rejected in a company-wide vote. "I have already made a personal investment by moving with my family to France," Smith says in the video, according to a French transcript obtained by AFP. "Today I have decided to make another investment by investing half my fixed salary in Air France-KLM's share capital," he said. "It's a way of demonstrating my confidence … [Read more...] about New Air France-KLM chief vows to invest half of salary in airline
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Air France Fascinating history and strong commitment to Vietnam
(VEN) - Being recognized as the “Oldest foreign airline in Vietnam” during the 17th Golden Dragon Awards organized by the Department of Foreign Investment in Hanoi on April 14th, 2018, Air France always keeps on improving to strengthen its position in Vietnam and remain the first choice of carrier for flights to Paris and Europe. Mrs. Delphine Buglio - Country Manager Long and fascinating history in Vietnam Air France began flying to Vietnam 88 years ago with Air Orient, one of the three airlines that later merged to found Air France. The first flight, which took off from Marseille on March 9, 1930 reached Saigon after 18 stops. Then, from the 9th of March of the year 1950 and without any interruption until today, Air France has connected France with Vietnam. Mrs. Delphine Buglio, Country Manager of Air France in Vietnam, said: “We are always proud to celebrate the anniversary of the Saigon route, and this year again we organized a number of events for … [Read more...] about Air France Fascinating history and strong commitment to Vietnam
Air France warns of cancelled flights ahead of strike
Air France warned Friday that about 30 per cent of flights across France would be cancelled on Saturday (Apr 6) as pilots, cabin crews and ground staff pursued a fifth day of strikes aimed at securing higher pay. This file photo taken on Oct 5, 2015 shows the sign of Air France at the entrance of the company headquarters, in Roissy-en-France. (Photo: AFP/Kenzo Tribouillard) Unions say workers deserve to benefit from years of belt-tightening that have brought the carrier back to operating profitability, after seeing their wages effectively frozen since 2011. They have called daylong work stoppages since February in pursuit of a six per cent pay raise, and have already warned of more strikes to come, often coinciding with school holidays. The Air France industrial action coincides with rolling strikes by workers at the state rail operator SNCF, as well as protests by students, public servants, energy workers and rubbish collectors. Although the various protests have different … [Read more...] about Air France warns of cancelled flights ahead of strike
Air France staff strike, a quarter of flights cancelled
Air France staff went on strike on Friday (Mar 30) for the third time in a month, forcing the airline to cancel a quarter of flights as multiple industrial disputes weigh on President Emmanuel Macron's workload. The Air France strike is adding to the pressure on French President Emmanuel Macron AFP/KENZO TRIBOUILLARD Lawyers were also set to strike nationwide Friday against reforms that they say will over-centralise France's court system, while staff at state rail operator SNCF will begin three months of rolling strikes next week. Refuse collectors are also set to go on strike from Apr 3 demanding the creation of a national waste service, creating a headache for Macron who has so far avoided the mass industrial action suffered by his predecessor Francois Hollande. Some 32 per cent of Air France pilots were set to join the walkout on Friday along with 28 percent of cabin crew and 20 per cent of ground staff, according to company estimates. Eleven trade unions have already … [Read more...] about Air France staff strike, a quarter of flights cancelled
Air France launches new business-class cabin
By Binh Nguyen - The Saigon Times Daily HCMC - Air France has put to service a new-version Boeing 777-300ER equipped with one more business-class cabin and new in-flight products, including an entertainment system for its non-stop flights between Paris and HCMC. The latest version of the Boeing 777-300ER was configured with 42 Business seats, 24 Premium Voyageur seats and 317 Voyageur seats. The new Premium Voyageur is positioned between the business and economy classes. In addition to the in-flight entertainment system developed exclusively for Air France, the European carrier said there were new bar areas in each cabin of the Boeing 777-300ER that flies between the two cities thrice a week. “With the deployment of this new aircraft offering a further improved in-flight product, Air France aims to bolster its position in Vietnam,” Thierry Beragnes, country manager Vietnam at Air France KLM, said in a statement. “This is a further step forward in our development … [Read more...] about Air France launches new business-class cabin