Falling demand prompts system-wide reductions
Air France KLM has announced it is to cut capacity on all its networks in response to a "sharp" decline in demand.
The airline group said it would focus on reducing Air France's summer 2009 capacity by 2.7% in total compared to last year.
Long and short/medium haul capacity in available seat kilometres (ASK) will be cut 2.5% and 3.1% respectively.
The Franco-Dutch group said falling demand and the resulting capacity cuts would be most noticeable on North American, Asian and domestic routes.
It said the move was aimed at reducing the number of flights rather than close routes that remain "attractive."
The group said Air France's joint venture with Delta Air Lines would allow it to optimise its transatlantic network with new departure times to Detroit and the resumption of an Atlanta service.
Delta also recently announced international capacity cuts of 10% from September.
Air France will reduce its Paris-New York service to 48 flights per week. Paris - Houston will be served by 12 flights per week instead of 14.
The Paris-Chennai route will be suspended after recording heavy losses.
The changes allow Air France to increase capacity on more profitable routes, such as Montreal, Beirut, Saint-Martin, Havana and West Africa where ASK is set to increase 10.1%.
Air France's domestic network, hit by the economic crisis and the rail industry's growing market share, will see flights reduced or suspended from Paris Orly and the provinces.
Routes between France, Spain, Italy and North Africa will also be subject to changes.
Capacity on some routes will be taken up by Alitalia, TAAG and MEA through new code share agreements.
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