The Wall Street Journal-20080129-Air France Plans Environment-Friendly Steps

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Air France Plans Environment-Friendly Steps

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PARIS -- Air France, one of the two airlines making up Air France- KLM SA, said it plans to spend 2 billion euros ($2.93 billion) a year through 2020 on modernizing its fleet of aircraft and other measures to improve its environmental credentials.

Air France's objective is part of a broader environmental convention among French air-transport professionals signed in Paris yesterday.

Air France chairman Jean-Cyril Spinetta said his airline is planning to reduce its average fuel consumption per passenger by between 15% and 20% by 2012. Over the same period, the airline wants to reduce its carbon-dioxide emissions by 20% by 2012, compared with 2005, on routes between France and its overseas territories and by 5% on domestic routes. It also plans to cut noise emissions to a level below those recorded in 2005.

In May, Air France said it would invest 5 billion euros to replace its entire fleet of 18 Boeing 747 jets with Boeing 777-300ER wide-body aircraft, which are quieter and less fuel-thirsty.

At the same time, it is replacing its early-generation Airbus A320 aircraft that were put into service in 1988 and 1989 with 30 more modern and more efficient A320s and A321s.

"We already have the most energy efficient fleet in Europe, thanks to our aggressive investment policy over the past 10 years," Mr. Spinneta said. "Asian airlines are among the top performers for low energy consumption," he said.