Air France is to exchange six Boeing 787s it has on order for Airbus A350s set to be delivered to KLM, as part of a fleet optimisation drive.
The French carrier says it will swap the six 787s – with deliveries scheduled in the 2021-23 timeframe – for seven A350s its Dutch sister carrier has on order.
Air France
This, Air France foresees, will allow the two airlines to "realise fleet efficiencies through harmonisation and accelerated growth of similar aircraft at both airlines".
Options for "further fleet development" at Air France within the wider group are currently "under study" in consultancy with all stakeholders, notes the French carrier.
Air France has nine Boeing 787-9s in service, and a 10th scheduled to arrive in May 2020. The airline will receive its first A350-900 in September 2019. It already had a further 20 on firm order, a figure which rises to 27 with the addition of KLM's seven.
KLM has 13 787-9s in service and is poised to received its first 787-10. By the of this next year, it should have 21 Dreamliners, a fleet which Air France's six will increase to 27.
"This is the first step towards harmonising and simplifying the Air France-KLM Group fleet at its two major airlines," states group chief executive Ben Smith.
Source: Cirium Dashboard
