Historical

1909-1932: 

In 1909 France was created in the transaérienne General Company, the first commercial company formed for the purpose of transporting passengers airships and seaplanes. At the end of the First World War, aircraft and military pilots are a huge pool for airlines that multiply during Roaring Twenties. The decrees of June 6, 1919 and September 17, 1919 created a body of general technical coordination of the responsible aviation issues relevant civil aviation and military while a decree of January 19, 1920 creates a sub-secretariat of state aerospace, placed with the Minister of Public Works. 

 

It is in this context of development of civil aviation that the League of Latécoère Lines (future Aeropostale) opens its trade routes to North and West Africa, Central Europe CIDNA dessert, Air Union ( in which are grouped the transaérienne General Company) and Farman routes throughout Western Europe, Eastern Air expands its network to the Mediterranean and the Far East. 

 

The comfort on board aircraft - often former bombers converted - then non-existent (cabin exposed to turbulence, some passengers sitting on wicker chairs or rattan unfixed smell of castor oil small propeller biplanes unpressurized and unconditioned, where a cold and a terrible noise) and only a wealthy clientele (billionaires, ministers, artists) can access it. In 1920, eleven companies operate a dozen lines and these companies carry 6786 passengers in 1922. 

 

In the late 1920s, when most countries already have large national companies (KLM in 1919, Qantas in 1920, Delta Air Lines and Imperial Airways in 1924, Lufthansa, United Airlines and Pan Am in 1926, American Airlines in 1930), the French aerospace market remains fragmented and weakened by the Great Depression. The State, in order to keep its prestige in the aviation and ensure its warplanes potential, largely subsidized since 1932 but unequally French companies rentables6 not enough. 

1933-1940 

 

The "shrimp". 

In this economic context, the French Parliament passed a law merging the four main French airline companies, Max Hymans was rapporteur of the budget of the Air in the House, and Pierre Cot Air Minister of the first government of Edward Daladier7. The four merged companies (Air Orient, Air Union, CIDNA - former Franco-Romanian - and Farman lines) form 19 May 1933 the CLARS, Central Society for airline operations. On 31 May 1933, the CLARS buys assets Aeropostale (banker Marcel Bouilloux-Lafont), which was absent from the fusion originally because it was filing for bankruptcy since 19318. This was during a press conference announcing the merger, the journalist Georges Raffalovitch, dean in the world of aviation press, offers baptiser9 the new Air France10. 

 

On August 17, a deed finalizing the merger agreement. On 30 August, the statutes of Air France officially filed with the court Registry of Commerce and its creation is punishable by a general assembly. The new company is a mixed economy company with a capital of 120 million francs in which the government holds at least 25% of the shares and is represented on the board in the same proportions. 

 

October 7, 193312, a ceremony at Le Bourget consecrates the new company chaired Ernest Roume, former president of Air Orient, and formerly Governor General of Indochina and French West Africa. This solemn ceremony marks the advent of Air France. It adopts as a symbol of the Air Orient: a winged horse protome tailed dragon (head horse symbolizing power, fishtail recalling the aircraft and bird wings symbolizing speed), simply called winged seahorse (international trademarking 3 December 1934) and affectionately nicknamed the "shrimp" by staff. 

 

Air France then has a diverse fleet of 259 aircraft, divided into 219 aircraft, 35 seaplanes, 5 amphibies14. It carries nearly 52,000 passengers in 1933, more than 100 000 passengers in 1938. It has the third mondial15 network 16. 

 

1940-1945: 

 

After the Armistice of May 1940, Air France is under the supervision of the French State. Its headquarters are transferred free zone, in Marseille, chosen because of its proximity to the major seaplane base on the Etang de Berre. With any service abroad is interrupted. In 1941, Air France takes the Air Blue, Air Afrique and Air France Transatlantique17 control. After the invasion of the free zone in November 1942, all routes to Africa are suspended. 

 

In North Africa and black Africa, the company continues its activities under the authority of its local management located in Algiers. After the arrival of General de Gaulle, it is dissolved and replaced, June 30, 1943, by the French military air networks (RAMF), under the direction of Lionel Marmier. On 1 July 1944, it was renamed Military Air Transport (TAM). Finally, August 9, 1944, she was reunited at its requisition, under various texts on the militarization of civil aviation in wartime. 

 

1945-1960: 

 

On 26 June 1945 after the Second World War, the French Civil Aviation Air France was nationalized and became state property. In April 1946, Air France launched its first recruitment of "master of flying houses", ie hostesses AIR20. July 1, 1946, the Paris-New York route was officially opened with a DC-4 in less than 20 hours. 

 

In 1953, Air France modernized by introducing the four-engined Lockheed Constellation in its fleet for transatlantic flights which then lasts 15 hours. Air Inter was founded November 12, 1954 with the main shareholders Air France (24%), SNCF (24%) and Caisse des Depots et Consignations (4%) 21. Terminal South Paris-Orly opened in 1957, Bourget being saturated. In early 1960, Air France activates the new jets at the time, the Caravelle and the Boeing 707, thus reducing by half the flight time and improving passenger comfort. 

 

 

Old logo of the company (1970-2009) 

 

1960-1973: 

 

On 23 February 1960 the Ministry of Public Works and Transport transferred the monopoly of Air France domestic routes to Air Inter. Air France receives compensation in a stake in Air Inter. The following day, Air France receives ministerial instruction order to share African routes with Air Afrique and UAT companies. 1 February 1963 the Government enacted a new distribution of African bonds and certain other connections to overseas between Air France and its competitors territories, promoting the fusion of former private operators whose UAT in the new private company UTA. Air France later became one of the first operators jumbo Quad reactors long-haul Boeing 747 (two bridges) and has one of the largest fleets in the world. 

 

1974-1999: 

 

Boeing 747 Air France F-GITF. 

 

In 1974, she moved to the new terminal at Roissy, introducing widebody aircraft fleet is the Airbus A300 and Boeing 747. On 21 January 1976 the first commercial flight of Concorde in Paris, Dakar and Rio de Janeiro, then Washington and Caracas. January 12, 1990, the State buys the group Chargers SA Jérôme Seydoux almost all the capital of the private company that UTA is actually nationalized. Airlines belonging to the French government, that is to say, Air France, Air Inter and UTA Air Charter are met within the Air France Group but temporarily retain their autonomy. A new company, Groupe Air France, was created by Decree 25 July 1994, which entered into force on 1 September. This company held the majority of shares of the capital of Air France and Air Inter renamed Air France Europe. On 10 February 1999, Air France is the subject of a partial privatization and takes the name of Société Air France. 

 

2000-2009: 

 

Terminal des Invalides, 7th arrondissement, Paris. 

 

In 2000, aircraft and personnel The operating company Aeropostale (Aéropostale or SEA) created in 1991 in partnership with La Poste Group, are also integrated into the Air France Group. 

On 22 June 2000, Air France is allied with airlines Delta Air Lines, Aeroméxico and Korean Air to form the airline alliance SkyTeam. 

31 May 2003, Air France withdrew its last five Concorde fleet after 27 years of operation. 

 

On 10 July 2003, the meeting of shareholders of Air France confirms the total privatization of the company aérienne23, privatization effective May 6, 2004. 

On 5 April 2004, Air France launched a public exchange offer for shares of KLM, which led to the merger of the two companies April 19, 2004 in Air France-KLM22 becoming at that time the world's first airline in terms of turnover, the third for the number of passengers (66 million to 550 airplanes operated in 2003) 16. The group Air France KLM form now makes it a privatized although the French state still holds substantial shares in the company capital. 

 

October 30, 2009, Air France-KLM received its first Airbus A38025 and 20 November, the company made the inaugural flight of the A380 between Paris and New York with 538 passengers on board. 

 

The history of Air France is now merged with that of Air France-KLM.