President of the board of directors and co-founder Christophe Bejach
L”Avion, a new French airline, has followed the initiative of Eos, Eurolfy, KLM, Lufthansa, Maxjet and Swiss in introducing a transatlantic business class service. The airline is now flying daily between Orly, south of central Paris, and with easy access to the commercial districts, and Newark New Jersey, across the Hudson River from Manhattan, and much favoured by business travellers. At the end of January Silverjet starts up from Luton with yet another premium class operation, again to Newark.
AS Elysair L”Avion was officially established in July 2006 as a SAS (simplified joint stock company) under French law capitalized at US$ 32m (”16.5m) and took delivery of its first 90 seat-Boeing 757 last December. The airline operates westbound daily (except Sunday) and eastbound every day except Saturday. Engineering is supplied by Lufthansa Technick, on-board catering by Servair, and inflight entertainment by Digecor. Two plus two seating is provided, with 140” incline.
What is interesting is that no airline carries more than 100 passengers, which makes it easy for despatch, and for customs and immigration at the other end. The solutions are all different. Typically Eos has gone for 48 flat bed seats and a narrow bodied 757, Maxjet 102 seats 2 + 2 + 2 and a Boeing 767, whilst new kid on the block Silverjet has Contour fully reclining modules.