Photo Air France |
Herringbone pattern kit in the Business cabin
Photo Air France |
Sailor-theme kit in Premium Economy
Photo Air France |
Photo Air France |
Photo Air France |
Photo Air France |
The best of Air France on display in Deauville
This year, festival-goers will be able to exclusively discover and try out the new Air France Business cabin on show at the Deauville International Centre, one of the festival’s key venues. The company is also organizing a competition with airline tickets up for grabs for the lucky winners.
Progressively deployed on board 12 Air France Boeing 777-300, this cabin will be available on flights from Paris to New York JFK starting autumn 2022. The new Business seat reclines to become a real lie-flat bed nearly 2 metres long. Each passenger has direct access to the central aisle and, for optimum privacy, a new sliding door allows passengers to create a totally private space, out of sight from the other passengers in the cabin. The seat features a wide 17.3-inch 4K High Definition anti-glare screen, a noise-reducing headset and Bluetooth connection. A real cinema in the sky!
Click here to discover the new Air France Business cabin.
Air France loves cinema
This strategy is based on 3 priorities:
- reduce in priority the direct emissions generated by Air France operations,
- reduce indirect emissions, generated upstream and downstream of the company’s activities,
- and in addition, support projects that absorb CO2 from the atmosphere
“Air France ACT” embodies the transparent, realistic and science-based approach adopted by the company to ensure its environmental transition through concrete and measurable actions.
Decarbonising aviation will be difficult and will take time. This process relies on close cooperation between the different stakeholders: aircraft manufacturers, engine manufacturers, fuel suppliers, airports, air traffic control, public authorities, research institutes and academia.
30% less CO2 emissions per passenger/km by 2030 compared to 2019, i.e., 12% less emissions in absolute terms
The new decarbonisation trajectory targets a 30% reduction in CO2 emissions per passenger/km by 2030 compared to 2019. This objective excludes so-called “offsetting” actions to consider measures that exclusively reduce direct and indirect emissions. It corresponds to a 12% reduction in the company’s total emissions between 2019 and 2030, in line with expected changes in activity, after a 6% reduction achieved between 2005 and 2019.
This trajectory is based on a scientific assessment method developed by the independent reference organisation SBTi (Science-Based Target initiative), to whom it was submitted. Founded by the CDP (Carbon Disclosure Project), the United Nations Global Compact and the World Wildlife Fund, SBTi has set CO2 emission reduction targets for the air transport sector, compatible with the Paris Agreement, which aims to limit global warming to below +2°C.
The A350F offers unbeatable efficiency and sustainability in terms of fuel burn, CO2 emissions and economics, and it will be the first new freighter to meet the latest ICAO CO2 requirements.The A350F offers nose-to-tail innovation with advanced materials (including carbon fibre and titanium) for reduced maintenance and the highest operational availability in its class.The A350F offers superior economics due to the best combination of payload, volumetric capacity and range.The A350F can be seamlessly integrated into airline fleets, having spares and tooling commonality with the A350 passenger aircraft for airframe and engines, as well as “same type rating” for flight crews and ground technicians.The A350F is the future-proof choice for the large widebody freighter market.
The A350F is much lighter and less maintenance-intensive than its competitors, largely thanks to its structure which comprises over 70% advanced materials such as composites, titanium and modern aluminium alloys. Notably, the wings, the centre wing box and also the fuselage panels are manufactured mostly with composites. These materials choices result in a lighter, stiffer, stronger, more capable and cost-efficient aircraft, while increasing resistance to corrosion and fatigue for reduced maintenance requirements. In fact, Airbus calculates that the A350F will provide its customers around 65 more revenue days due to less maintenance downtime versus the proposed 777-8F over 16 years, thanks to the A350F’s clean-sheet advanced materials and well-integrated systems. Moreover, these predictions are realistic given the proven track record of the A350-900 and -1000 in service today which are delivering more operational availability for extra revenue for operators.
On top of the low fuel consumption which already contributes to major savings, the A350F’s unbeatable economics are also built on the three tonnes additional structural payload (for a total of 109 tonnes) compared with the 777F. Moreover, to do the same job as its current competitor, the A350F will weigh around 28 tonnes less at take-off due to its much lighter composite fuselage & centre wing box, while burning around 20% less trip fuel. This also means that operators of Airbus’ new A350F freighter will benefit from lower landing and navigation charges.
As for the proposed 777-8F, while the current estimates suggests that it could offer six percent more volume and seven tonnes more payload than the A350F, this would come with a hefty burden of at least 32 additional metric tonnes (32,000kgs) of take-off weight (Airbus’ initial estimate) – which increases fuel burn, CO2 emissions and airport charges.
The A350F’s higher running-load capability over more of the floor will provide superior pallet loading flexibility and C-of-G management. In particular, its operators will be able to utilise the full 6.8 tonnes maximum certified limit for a 96x125 pallet for 20 of the 30 pallet positions, whereas the 777F only offers six pallet positions with a 6.8t pallet capability – with all the rest being limited to a maximum loading of only around four tonnes where the floor loading is more limited.Mention should also be made of the A350F’s composite main-deck-cargo door (MDCD). With a clear opening measuring 3.72m by 3.16m, it allows loading on board of all new large turbofan engines. Meanwhile, the flexibility of the main-deck cargo-loading system (CLS) inside the aircraft provides for up to six positions for these engines to be directly latched, instead of using straps. The use of latches not only minimises turnaround time, but also frees-up space adjacently for two extra pallets.
Another key requirement when defining the A350F was the capability to fly from Hong Kong to Anchorage – an industry benchmark mission as it is the most often flown cargo route in the world – at full payload. Accordingly, the A350F with 109t max structural payload can carry it over 4,700nm to enable this route, and do so with the lowest possible fuel burn and proportionally reduced CO2 emissions.
Air France named Best airline in Europe, Western Europe and France at the Skytrax World Airline Awards 202110th best airline in the world and only European airline in the top 10COVID Airline Excellence Award