Jean-Cyril Spinetta, 66, is chairman of the board of directors of Air France-KLM. Uncompromising, he rebels against these competitors – or low-cost companies in the Gulf – which grow through subsidies or public support. Benefits suffered by companies history.
LE FIGARO. – Why the Gulf airlines like Emirates and Etihad, they seem unwilling to integrate alliances in the air?
Jean-Cyril Spinetta. – They say they simply do not need it, so it is they need to ask. In reality, these companies are the vast majority of their clients not in their respective countries, whose population is modest, but European markets, Asian or African. Therefore, it is very difficult to integrate an alliance, because there is an imbalance of benefits.When we sign an agreement with China or India, we facilitate the access of companies in these countries the wider European market. In return, we have improved access to Chinese market or Indian. There is a balance, reciprocity. With these companies in the Gulf, no such thing: they claim is open exclusively to their advantage. But there is worse. These companies are managed without the economic and financial profitability necessary in an economy open to all players. The requirement of profitability, which is the primary requirement of any private economic actor, is quite high for these companies. I was, I believe, the first in 2002 at the Cannes Airlines Forum, to denounce this situation. At the time, I was a little lonely. Since then, all airlines in the world are sounding the alarm.Why? Because no other major global economic activity is confronted with such situations. Imagine there be for example one or more automobile manufacturers may say "My purpose is not to win money, but market share? If you let them idly, they would kill the global automotive industry. That is what are these companies doing Gulf for our industry.
Some argue that these airlines are very profitable.
Nobody knows precisely because none of them are not listed. What is certain however is that they all give full support to their respective states.When we combine their existing fleets and their controls in 2020, we arrive at the figure of 800 long-haul aircraft, double the long-haul fleets combined groups Lufthansa, British Airways and Air France-KLM, which are yet Today the first three long-haul carriers in the world. There is an excess. Europeans are beginning to realize these companies, capturing the European traffic, import them from employment and export of unemployment at home.
Why the traditional companies have they left nibble significant market share by low-cost carriers in Europe?
Simply because economic actors operate according to the economic model that is theirs.The major European airlines, which are always the largest international carriers of the world, as the heart of business value for air links between Europe and the rest of the world instant payday loan. They have focused successfully on their model, which is to feed the long-haul flights by arranging matches between these flights and European flights. It's the hub model. But it hampers the ability of medium-haul aircraft to fly more than eight hours per day.This is the essential element of any competitiveness of traditional carriers face low-cost.
However, Air France had the experience of Air Inter, who was a specialist in short-haul?
The company, which only domestic flights, was focused on optimization of short-haul model, in order to be competitive with the TGV or car: aircraft turnaround, revenue management, intensification of cabins, organizing the call … It is true that in the merger, it has too often forgotten that way of working that was the best on a short-haul domestic network. We lost that culture is a pity.The new draft Air France to create databases province is a form of return to this model.
Ryanair said it reached its peak?
When the boss of Ryanair said: "If I am subject to the same charges as the others, so I'm going, I leave Marseille," he recognizes that its business model no longer works if it must meet the same rules as its competitors in continental Europe. He has just done the same thing in Frankfurt. However, European law is clear: any activity based in a country must respect the social rights of this country. It is unacceptable that European rules are so flouted by Ryanair. Without subsidies and with payroll equivalent, the difference in cost between the two models will be significantly less.I who am Corsican, I am amazed by what happens in Figari: 60,000 euros would be missing the promised subsidy to Ryanair, so she decided to stop everything instantly. Michael O'Leary is thus demonstrating that it needs public money to support his model.
What will the air in ten years?
The aviation landscape has been transformed in a decade with the emergence of low-cost carriers in Europe, the emergence of companies in the Gulf and especially the regional consolidation of our industry. It is now three major groups in Europe, the same number in the United States. The big question is whether, in the next decade, a global consolidation, as in the financial services industry, will take place. We are already seeing the first fruits, for example with KLM, which has 25% of Kenya Airways or Lufthansa, which took position at JetBlue in the U.S..We were ten years ago, national players joining our respective countries to the rest of the world we have become players in Europe, linking Europe to the world. Will we be tomorrow's global players present on all world markets? For me the major issue of next decade. That is what we must prepare.
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