Air France CEO on Recovery: We Need to Stay Agile

Although leisure demand is starting to show signs of recovery as Europeans start taking their summer vacations, the short booking curve is keeping Air France's network planning team on its toes, requiring the airline to change flights and frequencies just days before departure.

"Our network team has to be very agile," Air France CEO Anne Rigail said in an interview with Skift's Airline Weekly. "Passengers are booking tickets two to three weeks before departure," she said, adding, "We are looking for demand where it is."

One area where demand remains strong is cargo. The carrier has two freighters, both fully utilized, and has operated cargo-only flights throughout its network in the belly holds of Boeing 777-300s. Rigail said cargo flights kept Air France pilots and crews current and allowed it to operate 80 percent of its network throughout the pandemic. Revenues are stronger than they were in 2019, she