Air France launched its new hub facility in the boarding satellite of terminals 2E and 2F at Paris-Charles de Gaulle2 airport. This is the first phase in the airline and its SkyTeam alliance partners’…
Air France launched its new hub facility in the boarding satellite of terminals 2E and 2F at Paris-Charles de Gaulle2 airport. This is the first phase in the airline and its SkyTeam alliance partners’ plan to build the hub of the future.
This satellite will guarantee optimum service for our customers. For Air France, it is a key asset in the Group’s future success and growth, said Jean-Cyril Spinetta, Chairman and CEO of Air France KLM.
PARIS-CDG 2
Air France and Aeroports de Paris have been stepping up their joint efforts to provide the “fundamentals” of the Air France Hub, i.e. a large number of gate-parked aircraft, dedicated connecting channels and an integrated baggage sorting system.
Over the next 20 months, Air France will progressively benefit from new, highly efficient airport facilities, thus opening a new chapter in its hub operations at Paris-Charles de Gaulle with:
- the progressive opening of the new boarding satellite of terminals 2E and 2F in June, October and December 2007, with a capacity to handle 8.5 million passengers annually
- the reopening of terminal 2E (T2E) in April 2008, the inauguration of the regional terminal in autumn 2008 and the scheduled opening of a second boarding satellite for T2E by 2012
and, at the same time:
- the building of remote aircraft parking stands in the vicinity of these new facilities, in addition to the numerous gate parking facilities, and the implementation of different baggage sorting systems spread out between terminals T2E, T2F and the boarding satellites.
With these new infrastructures, Air France and its partners will progressively benefit from an optimized and highly efficient hub and be able to offer their customers significantly improved service quality.
Infrastructure
The boarding satellite offers a concrete solution to the current saturated facilities at the Air France hub thanks to an additional handling capacity of 8.5 million passengers per year. The number of gate-parked long-haul flights at Paris-CDG2 will reach 73% during the first few weeks of operation compared with the current 52%, thanks to very flexible modular gate configuration (from 11 LH + 8 MH to 4 LH + 22 MH),
6 of the 11 long-haul parking stands will also provide parking facilities for 6 Air France A380 super jumbo aircraft at the same time, once these aircraft are brought into service in 2009.
Once fully operational (end 2007), the satellite will be equipped with between 19 and 26 gate parking stands, depending on the type of flight handled (long-haul or medium-haul).
Early July, 8 LH gates will be in use on the East side, where some thirty flights will be handled daily; from October to December 2007, an additional 8 MH gates and 3 LH gates will be available on the West side.
The automated train service Lisa links the satellite to terminal 2E and a walkway equipped with travelators to speed up connections linking 2F will be opened between January and March 2008; a centralized check-in and baggage claim area will be available at the time of the launch at terminal T2E, and ultimately at terminal 2F.
Flight schedule
Starting from 27 June, some ten daily Air France flights (to the U.S.), checked in at T2E, will be arriving at and departing from the parking stands on the East side of the new satellite.
Starting from July 3, some thirty daily flights (U.S., Asia and Africa) will be gate-parked at the satellite.
Operations at the satellite during summer 07 and winter 07-08 seasons:
Three principles selected in the definition of flight assignments at T2E / new satellite:
- As soon as the new satellite is launched, a flight assignment policy will be implemented, optimizing the use of this satellite and connecting channels so that we can take full advantage of the integrated T2E – T2F satellite with effect from the Summer 2008 season
- T2E and the boarding satellite will be reserved for Air France and SkyTeam member airlines
- specific destinations will be handled at any one terminal
In a few figures this new boarding satellite will serve:
- 8.5 million passengers per year
- some 30 daily flights
- a lounge covering 2,600 sq. m with seating capacity for 700
- 700 Air France agents (350 “customer sector” employees and 350 “ramp sector” employees) and, this summer, as early as July, the number of gate-parked flights will reach 73% compared with the current 52%.
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
