Air France names its second Airbus A350 “Lyon”
Air France has today taken delivery of a new Airbus A350 called "Lyon".
The company is renewing with the tradition of naming its aircraft after French cities. After Toulouse, the birthplace of the A350, Lyon, a major regional hub for the Air France-KLM group, is the next city in the spotlight.
Zoran Jelkic, SVP French Market Air France-KLM, said: "We are very pleased to welcome this second Airbus A350, named after our regional hub. Lyon is a very important market for us, the second most important after Paris, and all the group’s airlines are represented there. Our sales teams work hard on a daily basis to offer our customers the best possible service and also to link this beautiful region to the rest of the world.”
Gérard Collomb, Mayor of Lyon, said: "Lyon is very proud to see its name associated with an Air France aircraft. A global capital city in terms of gastronomy and a major historical city, the 3rd largest city in France is classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Lyon embodies French culture and heritage that will continue to shine throughout the world. It is also a reminder that Lyon is the birthplace of Antoine de St-Exupéry, the famous airmail pilot who gave his name to the city's airport.”
The Air France A350 offers 324 seats, with 34 in the Business cabin, 24 in the Premium Economy cabin and 266 in the Economy cabin. Currently operating flights to Abidjan, Bamako and Toronto, it will soon be flying to Cairo (9 December), Seoul (9 December) and Bangkok (summer 2020).
The A350, an asset for reducing our environmental footprint
"Lyon" is the second of the 28 A350s that will be joining the Air France fleet by 2025.
Compared to previous-generation aircraft, the Airbus A350 consumes 25% less fuel (i.e. 2.5 litres per passenger/100 km) thanks to the incorporation of materials which are up to 67% lighter – 53% composites and 14% titanium. In addition, its noise footprint is reduced by 40%.
Renewing its fleet is at the heart of Air France’s long-standing commitment to reduce its environmental footprint. Other concrete actions have also been implemented, such as weight reduction on board, reducing and recycling waste, promoting eco-piloting, reducing its noise footprint and eliminating single-use plastic items.
Air France also recently announced that as of 1 January 2020, its domestic flights will be carbon neutral thanks to the offsetting of 100% of CO2 emissions. This measure will apply in particular to all flights within metropolitan France on departure from Lyon.