History of Air France in Timeline
Air France is the flag carrier of France and a subsidiary of the Air France-KLM Group. Headquartered in Tremblay-en-France, it's a founding member of the SkyTeam alliance. As of 2013, Air France served 29 destinations in France and operates scheduled passenger and cargo services to 201 destinations in 78 countries worldwide. In 2019, it carried 46,803,000 passengers. Its global hub is located at Charles de Gaulle Airport, with Orly Airport serving as the primary domestic hub. The airline's corporate headquarters are situated at the Roissypôle complex on the grounds of Charles de Gaulle Airport.
1909: Air France predecessor company in 1909
In 1909, Air France traces its origins back to its earliest predecessor company.
1909: Establishment of Compagnie générale transaérienne in 1909
In 1909, Compagnie générale transaérienne, a predecessor company of Air France, was established.
1918: Establishment of Compagnie Générale Aéropostale in 1918
In 1918, Compagnie Générale Aéropostale (originally Société des lignes Latécoère) was founded.
March 1919: SGTA Weekly Service between Paris and Brussels in March 1919
On March 22, 1919, Société Générale des Transports Aériens (SGTA), founded as Lignes Aériennes Farman, began a weekly service between Paris and Brussels, marking the world's first international commercial aviation service.
1920: Establishment of Compagnie Internationale de Navigation Aérienne in 1920
In 1920, Compagnie Internationale de Navigation Aérienne (CIDNA) was founded.
1924: Société des lignes Latécoère began airmail services in 1924
In 1924 Société des lignes Latécoère began airmail services.
1929: Establishment of Air Orient in 1929
In 1929, Air Orient was founded.
August 1933: Air France Formation in August 1933
On August 30, 1933, Air France was formed as a merger of Air Orient, Air Union, Compagnie Générale Aéropostale, Compagnie Internationale de Navigation Aérienne (CIDNA), and Société Générale de Transport Aérien (SGTA).
June 1945: Nationalization of France's air transport companies in June 1945
On June 26, 1945, all of France's air transport companies were nationalized.
December 1945: Air France granted management of French air transport network in December 1945
On December 29, 1945, a decree of the French Government granted Air France the management of the entire French air transport network.
January 1946: Société Nationale Air France set up in January 1946
On January 1, 1946, Société Nationale Air France was set up.
July 1946: Air France started direct flights between Paris and New York in July 1946
On July 1, 1946, Air France started direct flights between Paris and New York via refuelling stops at Shannon and Gander, utilizing Douglas DC-4 piston-engine airliners, which covered the route in just under 20 hours.
1946: French government authorised creation of TAI in 1946
In 1946, the French government authorised the creation of Transports Aériens Internationaux (TAI).
September 1947: Air France's network stretched east from New York, Fort de France and Buenos Aires to Shanghai in September 1947
In September 1947, Air France's network stretched east from New York, Fort de France and Buenos Aires to Shanghai.
1947: Air France operated Lockheed Constellations on passenger and cargo services worldwide between 1947 and 1965
Between 1947 and 1965, Air France operated Lockheed Constellations on passenger and cargo services worldwide.
June 1948: Compagnie Nationale Air France Created in June 1948
On June 16, 1948, Compagnie Nationale Air France was created by act of parliament, with the government initially holding 70% of the shares.
August 1948: Max Hymans appointed president in August 1948
On August 4, 1948, Max Hymans was appointed the president of Air France.
1948: Air France operated 130 aircraft in 1948
By 1948, Air France operated 130 aircraft, one of the largest fleets in the world.
1948: French government authorised creation of SATI in 1948
In 1948, the French government authorised the creation of SATI.
1949: Air France Co-founded SITA in 1949
In 1949, Air France became a co-founder of Société Internationale de Télécommunications Aéronautiques (SITA), an airline telecommunications services company.
1949: SATI became part of Union Aéromaritime de Transport (UAT) in 1949
In 1949, SATI became part of Union Aéromaritime de Transport (UAT), a private French international airline.
1952: Air France Moved Operations to Orly Airport South Terminal in 1952
In 1952, Air France moved its operations and engineering base to the new Orly Airport South terminal, expanding its network to cover 250,000 km.
May 1953: Vickers Viscount turboprop entered service between May 1953 and August 1954
The Vickers Viscount turboprop entered service between May 1953 and August 1954 on the European routes.
September 1953: Government instructed Air France to share long-distance routes in September 1953
On September 26, 1953, the government instructed Air France to share long-distance routes with new private airlines, followed by an accord to transfer some routes to Africa, Asia, and the Pacific region to private carriers.
August 1954: Vickers Viscount turboprop entered service between May 1953 and August 1954
The Vickers Viscount turboprop entered service between May 1953 and August 1954 on the European routes.
August 1959: Air France opened ticket and information agency
On 28 August 1959, Air France opened a ticket and information agency in the former air terminal in Invalides, targeting transit passengers and customers from offices and companies in the Invalides area.
February 1960: Transfer of Air France's domestic monopoly to Air Inter in February 1960
On February 23, 1960, the Ministry of Public Works and Transport transferred Air France's domestic monopoly to Air Inter, with Air France receiving a stake in Air Inter as compensation; the following day, Air France was instructed to share African routes with Air Afrique and UAT.
February 1963: Government Formalized Division of Routes in February 1963
On February 1, 1963, the government formalized the division of routes between Air France and its private sector rivals, with Air France withdrawing services to various regions that were allocated to the new Union de Transports Aériens (UTA).
1963: Government sanctioned monopoly in 1963
In 1963, Air France had enjoyed a government-sanctioned monopoly.
1965: Air France operated Lockheed Constellations on passenger and cargo services worldwide between 1947 and 1965
Between 1947 and 1965, Air France operated Lockheed Constellations on passenger and cargo services worldwide.
June 1970: Air France started operating the 747
On 3 June 1970, Air France started operating the 747, putting a 747-100 into service which was delivered on 20 March that year.
1970: Operation of the 747
The airline operated the 747 in several variants since 1970.
1974: Air France began shifting operations to Charles de Gaulle Airport and became world's first operator of Airbus A300 in 1974
In 1974, Air France began shifting the bulk of operations to the new Charles de Gaulle Airport north of Paris and also became the world's first operator of the Airbus A300 twin-engine widebody plane.
1983: Air France's Golden Jubilee in 1983
By 1983, Air France's golden jubilee, the workforce numbered more than 34,000, its fleet about 100 jet aircraft (including 33 Boeing 747s) and its 634,400 km network served 150 destinations in 73 countries. In 1983, Air France began passenger flights to South Korea, being the first European airline to do so.
1986: Government relaxed policy of dividing traffic rights in 1986
In 1986, the government relaxed its policy of dividing traffic rights for scheduled services between Air France, Air Inter and UTA, without route overlaps between them.
1987: Air France founded Amadeus in 1987
In 1987, Air France together with Lufthansa, Iberia and SAS founded Amadeus, an IT company (also known as a GDS) that would enable travel agencies to sell the founders and other airlines' products from a single system.
March 1988: Air France became the first airline to take delivery of the A320 in March 1988
In March 1988, Air France was a launch customer for the fly-by-wire (FBW) A320 narrowbody twin, along with Air Inter and British Caledonian. It became the first airline to take delivery of the A320 and introduce Airbus A320 service on short-haul routes.
January 1990: Merger of Air France, Air Inter, and UTA in January 1990
On January 12, 1990, the operations of government-owned Air France, semi-public Air Inter and wholly private Union de Transports Aériens (UTA) were merged into an enlarged Air France.
1990: Air France acquired Air Inter and UTA in 1990
In 1990, Air France acquired the operations of French domestic carrier Air Inter and international rival UTA – Union de Transports Aériens.
1991: Lease to occupy the building signed
Air France first signed a lease to occupy the building in 1991.
1991: Bids for Square Max Hymans building
By 1991, two bids for the purchase of the Square Max Hymans building had been made.
1992: Complex sold to Mutuelle générale de l'Éducation nationale
By 1992, the Square Max Hymans complex was sold to Mutuelle générale de l'Éducation nationale (MGEN) for 1.6 billion francs.
July 1994: Groupe Air France Set Up in July 1994
On July 25, 1994, a new holding company, Groupe Air France, was set up by decree.
September 1994: Groupe Air France became operational in September 1994
On September 1, 1994, Groupe Air France became operational, acquiring majority shareholdings in Air France and Air Inter.
December 1995: Air France moved head office to Roissypôle
After about 30 years prior to December 1995, Air France moved its head office to Roissypôle.
December 1995: Completion of complex
The 130,000-square-metre complex was completed in December 1995.
1996: Wolf resigned in 1996
In 1996, Stephen Wolf resigned to take over as CEO at US Airways.
1997: Air Inter Europe absorbed
February 1999: Air France's partial privatisation approved
On 19 February 1999, the French Prime Minister Lionel Jospin's Plural Left government approved Air France's partial privatization.
June 1999: Transatlantic partnership with Delta Air Lines formed
In June 1999, Air France and Delta Air Lines formed a bilateral transatlantic partnership.
1999: The Chemical Brothers marketing
In 1999, Air France used The Chemical Brothers for its marketing and on-board ambience.
June 2000: SkyTeam global airline alliance expanded
On 22 June 2000, the partnership between Air France and Delta Air Lines expanded into the SkyTeam global airline alliance.
July 2000: Crash of AF Concorde F-BTSC
On 25 July 2000, AF Concorde F-BTSC crashed at Gonesse (near Charles de Gaulle Airport).
July 2000: Air France Flight 4590 crash
On 25 July 2000, Air France Flight 4590, a Concorde, caught fire immediately after take-off due to metal debris on the runway damaging a tire, which produced debris that struck a fuel tank on the underside of the wing, catching fire. All 109 passengers and crew inside Flight 4590, as well as four people inside the hotel, were killed.
2000: Club 2000 Card
In 2000, the invitation-only card called Club 2000 is attributed to some VIPs, celebrities and politicians.
2001: ISO 9001 certification
Since 2001, the Air France Vaccinations Center was the only French vaccination centre certified International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 9001.
2002: French State's Shareholdings Reached 54% in mid-2002
In mid-2002, the French state held 54% of shareholdings in Compagnie Nationale Air France.
May 2003: Air France continued daily transatlantic Concorde service until late May 2003
Air France continued daily transatlantic Concorde service until late May 2003.
May 2003: Air France Concordes retired
On 31 May 2003, Air France retired its five Concordes due to insufficient demand following the 25 July 2000 crash of AF Concorde F-BTSC, as well as higher costs.
September 2003: Air France and KLM Royal Dutch Airlines announce merger
On 30 September 2003, Air France and Netherlands-based KLM Royal Dutch Airlines announced the merger of the two airlines, and the new company would be known as Air France–KLM.
October 2003: British Airways flew its last Concorde service
On 24 October 2003, British Airways flew its last Concorde service.
2003: Air France Merger with KLM in 2003
In 2003, Air France merged with KLM.
2003: Air France-KLM merger
In 2003, Flying Blue succeeded Air France's previous frequent flyer program, Fréquence Plus, which operated until the Air France-KLM merger.
March 2004: Air France–KLM part of SkyTeam alliance
As of March 2004, Air France–KLM remained part of SkyTeam alliance.
May 2004: Air France and KLM merger takes place
On 5 May 2004, the merger between Air France and KLM took place. At that point former Air France shareholders owned 81% of the new firm, while former KLM shareholders owned the rest.
December 2004: State sells equity in Air France–KLM
In December 2004, the French state sold 18.4% of its equity in Air France–KLM, reducing its shareholding.
2004: Air France Asie ceased operations
In 2004, Air France Asie ceased its operations.
2005: Air France Vaccinations Center moved
In 2005, the Air France Vaccinations Center moved from the Aérogare des Invalides to its current location.
February 2006: Air France Cité PN opens
The Air France Cité PN, located at Charles de Gaulle Airport, opened in February 2006. The building acts as the airline's crew base.
March 2007: Air France-KLM employs 102,422 personnel
As of March 2007, the Air France-KLM group employed 102,422 personnel.
May 2007: Transavia France joint venture formed
In May 2007, Air France and Dutch affiliate Transavia formed Transavia France, a low-cost joint venture based at Orly Airport.
October 2007: Profit and revenue-sharing transatlantic joint venture announced
On 17 October 2007, the creation of a profit and revenue-sharing transatlantic joint venture between Air France-KLM and Delta Air Lines was announced.
2007: Air France Cargo Asie ceased operations
In 2007, Air France Cargo Asie ceased its operations.
March 2008: Transatlantic joint venture becomes effective
On 29 March 2008, the profit and revenue-sharing transatlantic joint venture between Air France-KLM and Delta Air Lines became effective, aiming to capture a major share of long-haul business traffic from London Heathrow.
November 2008: London (Heathrow) to Los Angeles service discontinued
In November 2008, the daily London (Heathrow) to Los Angeles service was discontinued, due to not being as successful as hoped.
November 2008: Airbus A320 repainted in 1946 scheme
On 14 November 2008, Air France released the first picture of an Airbus A320 that had been repainted in the full 1946 paint scheme to celebrate the airline's 75th anniversary. The aircraft was planned to fly under the special colours until early 2010.
January 2009: Air France new logo and livery unveiled
In January 2009, Air France unveiled a new logo and livery.
January 2009: Air France changed its logo
On 7 January 2009, Air France officially changed its logo to a red stripe.
February 2009: Air France rolled out its new livery
On February 11, 2009, Air France rolled out its new livery, featuring a slightly changed tail with three blue bars curving at the bottom.
January 2010: Air France migrated to Altéa
In January 2010, Air France migrated from its internally managed passenger service system, Alpha3, to Altéa, an external system managed by Amadeus. Also in January 2010, Air France and Veolia explored jointly operating high-speed rail services in Europe following European rail liberalization.
2010: Telepopmusik marketing
In 2010, Air France used Telepopmusik for its marketing and on-board ambience.
2010: End of special colours for heritage aircraft
In early 2010, the heritage Airbus A320 aircraft repainted in the full 1946 paint scheme, stopped flying under the special colours.
2011: Financial results of 2011
As the financial results of 2011 demonstrated, the long-haul operations would not be able to offset these losses.
2011: Premium Economy on Airbus A380s
In late 2010 and early 2011, the seats were also installed on Airbus A380s.
January 2012: Air France-KLM announces Transform 2015 plan
On 12 January 2012, Air France-KLM announced a three-year transformation plan, called Transform 2015, to restore profitability.
February 2012: Air France releases plan for summer schedule
On 22 February 2012, Air France released its plan for the summer schedule, limiting capacity increase due to the uncertain economic environment.
March 2012: Capacity increase limit
From 25 March 2012 to 28 October 2012, Air France-KLM set a limit of 1.4% maximum increase in capacity due to an uncertain economic environment.
June 2012: Decision to cut workforce
On 21 June 2012, Air France-KLM announced its decision to cut just under 10% of the total 53,000 workforce (about 5,000 jobs) by the end of 2013 in an attempt to restore profitability.
August 2012: Transform 2015 plan acceptance and rejection
As of August 2012, the Transform 2015 plan was accepted by ground staff and pilot unions but rejected by cabin crew unions.
October 2012: Capacity increase limit
From 25 March 2012 to 28 October 2012, Air France-KLM set a limit of 1.4% maximum increase in capacity due to an uncertain economic environment.
May 2013: KLM and Air France launched a pilot to test inflight Wi-Fi
On 29 May 2013, KLM and Air France launched a pilot program to test inflight Wi-Fi. Both airlines equipped one Boeing 777-300ER each with Wi-Fi. Using the inflight Wi-Fi, passengers can stay online using their smartphones, laptops, or tablets once the flight has reached 20,000 feet.
October 2013: Air France-KLM writes off stake in Alitalia
In October 2013, Air France-KLM announced it was writing off the 25% stake in Alitalia.
December 2013: Air France announces Cityjet deal with Intro Aviation
In December 2013, Air France announced that Cityjet no longer meets the short haul needs of the group and is in the process of closing a deal with German firm Intro Aviation by the end of Q1 of 2014.
2013: Workforce reduction completion target
By the end of 2013, Air France-KLM aimed to cut just under 10% of its workforce in an attempt to restore profitability.
2013: Air France announces it would commence operations
Following its launch, Air France announced it would commence operations in 2013.
2013: Withdrawal of heritage aircraft for scrapping
In 2013 the Airbus A320 heritage aircraft that had been repainted in the 1946 paint scheme was withdrawn from use for scrapping.
2013: Air France destinations in 2013
In 2013, Air France served 29 destinations in France and operated worldwide scheduled passenger and cargo services to 201 destinations in 78 countries (93 including overseas departments and territories of France).
February 2014: New business product unveiled
On 4 February 2014, the new business product was unveiled, featuring a fully flat bed from Zodiac Aerospace.
June 2014: Air France introduced a brand-new economy long-haul product
From June 2014, Air France introduced a brand-new economy long-haul product which features a new slimline seat, wider table, electrical sockets, retractable armrests, winged leather headrests, storage space, high-definition 10-inch screens with a USB port, and newly designed pillows.
June 2014: Zodiac Aerospace Cirrus seats installed on Boeing 777s
In June 2014, the Zodiac Aerospace Cirrus business class seats, designed by Mark Collins of Design Investment and Brandimage, were initially installed on Boeing 777s.
June 2014: New improvements fitted on aircraft
It is expected that the new improvements would be fitted on aircraft from June 2014 onwards.
June 2014: New business product fitted on aircraft
The fully flat bed from Zodiac Aerospace was fitted on Boeing 777 aircraft from June 2014 onwards.
September 2014: Air France to sell stake in Amadeus IT Group
In September 2014, Air France announced it would sell a 3 per cent stake in travel technology company Amadeus IT Group for $438 million.
2014: Negative publicity campaign by PETA
In 2014, the airline was targeted by a negative publicity campaign, spearheaded by PETA, for being the only major airline that permits the transport of primates for research.
2014: Cityjet deal with Intro Aviation
In December 2013, Air France announced that Cityjet no longer meets the short haul needs of the group and is in the process of closing a deal with German firm Intro Aviation by the end of Q1 of 2014.
2015: Objective of Transform 2015
As of August 2012, the Transform 2015 plan was accepted by ground staff and pilot unions but rejected by cabin crew unions.
2015: Boeing 787-9 entered into service with KLM
In 2015, the first Boeing 787-9 entered into service with KLM.
2015: Transform 2015 plan
In October 2013, Air France-KLM announced it was writing off the 25% stake in Alitalia, as it is currently struggling to restructure itself to profitability with the Transform 2015 plan.
2016: Boeing 747–400 retiring from the fleet
By 2016, the Boeing 747–400 were to be retired from the fleet.
July 2017: Strategic partnership with Delta, China Eastern, and Virgin Atlantic
In July 2017, Air France-KLM entered into a multi-airline strategic partnership with Delta Air Lines, China Eastern Airlines and Virgin Atlantic, Under the agreement Delta and China Eastern would each buy 10% of Air France-KLM, while Air France-KLM would buy 31% of Virgin Atlantic.
December 2018: Anne Rigail appointed Executive Director
In December 2018, Anne Rigail was appointed as Executive Director of the company.
2018: Air France and Hop Passengers in 2018
In 2018, Air France and its regional subsidiary Hop carried 51.4 million passengers.
January 2019: Investigation to shut down low-cost subsidiary Joon
As of January 2019, Air France was investigating how it could shut down its low-cost subsidiary Joon and absorb its employees and aircraft into the parent company.
July 2019: First order was announced as part of replacing its narrowbody fleet
In July 2019, Air France announced a first order as part of replacing its narrowbody fleet.
December 2019: Purchase of Virgin Atlantic cancelled
In December 2019, the purchase of Virgin Atlantic was cancelled.
2019: Airbus A380s retiring from the fleet
By 2019, the Airbus A380s were to be retired from the fleet.
2019: Air France Passengers in 2019
In 2019, Air France carried 46,803,000 passengers.
2020: Airbus A340-300 retiring from the fleet
By 2020, the Airbus A340-300 was to be retired from the fleet.
2021: Air France revised the livery once again
In 2021, Air France revised the livery once again, with the hippocampe ailé icon added between cockpit windows and front cabin doors.
2022: Air France destinations
As of 2022, Air France flies to 29 domestic and 201 international destinations in 94 countries.
2022: Airline stops transporting nonhuman primates
In 2022, the airline announced it would stop transporting nonhuman primates.
march 2025: The new La Première expérience has been introduced
In march 2025 the new La Première expérience has been introduced and will equip Boeing 777-300ER. The new private suite offers 5 windows and occupies 3,5 square meters. The méridienne can be transformed in a 3 meters long bed.
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