Airfrance-KLM Plans 1Billion Upgrade Of Aircraft, Products By 2017

        

The Airfrance-KLM Group has said that it will be investing over €1 billion in products and services by 2017, especially, in the upgrade of its A330 and A380, as part of plans to improve customer services.

The Group announced an investment of €700m in new cabins, including €500m for Airfrance and €200m for KLM.

“With the planned upgrading of both airlines’ Airbus A330 and Airfrance’s A380 over the next few years, the Airfrance-KLM Group will invest a total of more than one billion euros by 2017 in the up-grading of its products and services for its customers,” the airline said in a statement by Funmi Ojesina, its spokesperson, in Lagos.

Meanwhile, Airfrance inaugurated its first Boeing 777 equipped with its new cabins. For the first time, customers were able to enjoy the new Economy cabin, offering optimum travel com-fort, and Premium Economy, with 40 percent additional space.

They also discovered the new business class, a real cocoon in the sky.

These cabins, according to the airline, are being progressively installed on 44 Boeing 777, the heart of Air France’s long-haul fleet with close to 10,000 Economy seats; more than 1,100 Premium Economy seats and 2,102 new Business class seats.

The new cabins will be available by the end of 2014 to Singapore, Jakarta, Tokyo-Haneda, Houston and Shanghai while Douala, Dubai and Sao Paulo will follow early 2015.

“The new Airfrance cabins are being deployed on 44 Boeing 777 up to 2016. This summer, KLM is offering its new World Business Class on 22 Boeing 747. In September 2015, all of its Boeing 777-200 and 300 will offer this cabin.

“Moreover, the Airfrance-KLM group will welcome 100 Boeing 787 in its fleet at the end of 2015 and the first Airbus A350 in 2018. The aircraft will be equipped with completely new cabins,” she said.

Sade Williams