After a month of negotiations, representatives of the French pilot union SNPL approved on July 4, by a majority of 32 "yes" versus 15 "no", to hold an internal vote on a draft agreement to increase the fleet ceiling of Transavia France (TO, Paris Orly) above 40 aircraft.
The text of the agreement, which parent Air France-KLM hopes will release it from an earlier pact with the union that capped the fleet of its French low-cost subsidiary, is still subject to final discussions on points of detail before being submitted to a vote by SNPL AF members.
The vote will be launched once the July 2 draft agreement is finalised, La Tribune reported. According to a negotiator for the pilots, the results of the vote should be known by the end of July.
The draft agreement takes away any limit on the number of aircraft in the Transavia France fleet. Today, its fleet counts thirty-seven B737-800s, while its Dutch sister Transavia Airlines (HV, Amsterdam Schiphol) numbers seven B737-700s and thirty-six B737-800s, according to ch-aviation fleets.
However, in return for this concession, the pilots have obtained new assurances such as an extension until 2030 of a guaranteed minimum of 110 medium-haul aircraft at Air France (AF, Paris CDG), plus, according to Les Echos, a limit of 342,500 flight hours for the flag carrier's medium-haul business.
In addition, the development of Transavia will take place only from its existing bases from Paris Orly, Nantes, and Lyon St. Exupéry, with no possibility for bases abroad. Transavia France's fleet will be composed of only single-aisle aircraft, flights should not exceed 3,000 nautical miles, and transatlantic flights will be prohibited. Moreover, the draft agreement states that Transavia will not be able to operate scheduled flights from Air France hub Paris CDG, and no route provided by Air France can also be operated by Transavia.
