Air France schedules Joon launch for late 4Q17

Air France's budget brand targeted at millennials, Joon (Paris CDG), will launch on December 1, offering flights from Paris CDG to Barcelona El Prat, Berlin Tegel, Lisbon and Porto. Intercontinental flights to Fortaleza in Brazil and Mahé in the Seychelles will start in early May 2018.

On launch, Joon will operate a fleet of six A321-200s sourced from parent Air France (AF, Paris CDG) with plans to increase that number to eleven in 2018, and eventually eighteen. Widebody equipment in the form of three or four A340-300s will be added next summer for use on the intercontinental routes, which will slowly be replaced by ten incoming A350s.
Joon is part of Air France's long-gestating Boost project aimed at regaining French market share on ultra-competitive routes.
"Joon will allow us to open or reopen routes where there are aggressive competitors," said Franck Terner, Chief Executive Officer of Air France.
But Terner denies that Air France's 'little sister' is purely a low-cost airline.
"Joon is a model of a company between classic and low-cost airlines," Terner said at the new carrier's launch this week. "It offers business class on medium-haul and long-haul... And a drinks and catering service is available in all classes."
As the new unit comes completely under the Air France umbrella, all flights will be codeshared, allowing passengers to move between the two.

"Passengers from all over the world will be able to connect in Roissy [Paris CDG] and then go to Barcelona since everything will be marketed under the Air France code," said Jean-Michel Mathieu, Joon's chief executive. "This, therefore, contributes to developing the Air France offer, which, of course, is quite significant."

ch aviation