Air France outlines budget airline plan

Air France is considering the launch of a low-cost airline with the promise of routes for French travellers to destinations in Europe and North Africa.

The plan would see the expansion of the Dutch-based Transavia, which is owned by the Air France KLM group, with the first flights set to take to the skies in the spring.

If approved at an Air France board meeting later this month, flights would operate from Paris Orly to tourist destinations such as Morocco, Tunisia and Spain.

Tickets would be sold through tour operators but also via the transavia.com website and the airline sees this as a natural progression.

In a statement the airline said: “This latest initiative would fit in very well with the growth strategy of transavia.com, which has for some time been planning to operate from additional bases outside the Netherlands.”

Air France enjoys a virtual monopoly in its domestic market where low-cost competitors have found it difficult to establish a presence. Earlier this year Air Turquoise went into liquidation, but this move would see it go head-to-head with the likes of Ryanair and easyJet.

© Cheapflights Ltd Craig McGinty