Air France-KLM takes delivery of its first Airbus A320neo, to be operated by Transavia France

Following the delivery of a first Airbus A321neo to Transavia Netherlands on December 19, 2023, Air France-KLM continues the introduction of the A320neo aircraft family into its fleet.

On January 10, 2024, the Group took delivery of a first Airbus A320neo aircraft (registration number F-GNEO), to be operated by Transavia France. Powered by CFM International LEAP-1A engines and fitted with 186 seats in a single-class configuration, the aircraft will be based at Paris-Orly airport, Transavia France’s main base.

The aircraft’s first commercial flight is scheduled on January 15, 2024, with service to Porto Airport (Portugal), Transavia France’s inaugural destination when the airline began operations in 2007. Going forward, the A320neo will serve the airline’s entire network, covering over 200 routes to 120 destinations.

“The delivery of this first Airbus A320neo is a key step in the history of Transavia France. It marks the transition to all-Airbus fleet at Transavia and embodies our commitment to further developing the operations of our low-cost brand. It is part of our large, long-term fleet investments, designed to improve our Group’s economic and environmental performance,” stated Benjamin Smith, CEO of Air France-KLM. “We have strong ambitions for Transavia France, which is already the leading low-cost carrier on departure from Paris area airports. The growth of its fleet is one of the cornerstones of our strategy, hence our decision to bring these quieter, less polluting and more fuel-efficient aircraft, perfectly suited to our network needs. Our customers can also look forward to a new and improved on-board experience, in line with our commitment to “making low cost feel good”.”

This delivery follows the evolutionary order placed by Air France-KLM in 2021 for 100 Airbus A320neo family aircraft – with purchase rights for an additional 60 aircraft – to renew the fleets of KLM and Transavia Netherlands, and to renew and expand the fleet of Transavia France.

By the end of 2024, Transavia France expects to operate 13 Airbus A320neo aircraft, alongside its fleet of close to 70 Boeing 737-800.

Benefiting from the latest technological innovations, the A320neo family aircraft offer the best performance in their category for the network needs of the Group’s airlines. Compared to previous generation aircraft, they offer a 50% noise reduction as well as a 15% reduction in fuel consumption and CO₂ emissions. They also enable to a unit cost reduction of more than 10%.

Fleet renewal is the first lever to reduce CO₂ and noise emissions, with immediate effect. Alongside the use of sustainable aviation fuel and operational measures such as eco-piloting, it is one of the pillars of the Group's decarbonization trajectory, which aims for a 30% reduction of its CO₂ emissions per passenger/km by 2030 compared to 2019. Since the 2000s, Air France-KLM has already reduced its noise footprint by 40%.

By 2030, the share of new generation aircraft in the Group’s fleet is expected to reach 81%, compared to 21% in 2023.