Pendant qu’AIR FRANCE s’intéresse de très très très près au C-Series, Britair va se coltiner la merguez volante (crj10000000000000000000000000000000)

“Air France is considering Bombardier Inc.’s new CSeries family of jets, along with mid-haul planes from Boeing Co. and Airbus, for the carrier’s medium-range and regional lines.
As part of our regional and medium haul fleet renewal program, Air France is closely following developments in the Bombardier CSeries program, as well as its competitors’ projects,” airline spokesperson Brigitte Barrand said in an interview.

Analysts have said the 110- to 130-seat CSeries, which promises 20 per cent lower operating costs, would be a good fit for Air France. The airline’s regional subsidiary, Brit Air, is the launch customer for Bombardier’s new 100-seat CRJ1000, with eight firm orders.
And Air France is looking to update some of its aging A320 family aircraft.
In recent months, Air France CEO Jean-Cyril Spinetta has put pressure on Airbus and Boeing to accelerate the renewal of their A320 and B737 families. Air France, the launch customer of the A320 in the late 1980s, was hoping for single-aisle aircraft with double digit savings on fuel.
While the carrier has cut operating costs by an average of one per cent annually in the long-haul sector, it has not achieved similar savings for the medium-haul sector, Air France’s senior vice-president for new aircraft and corporate planning recently told AvBuyer.com.

Air France’s medium-haul fleet consists of 123- to 206-seat A320 family aircraft.
But the two plane-makers – both busy with larger aircraft programs – have put the prospect of revamping their smaller narrow-bodies on the backburner.
They say they won’t update the aircraft until technological improvements in engine-making – and the fuel savings that come with them – are available to justify such an investment.
Bombardier spokesperson Sylvie Gauthier wouldn’t say yesterday whether the company is holding CSeries talks with Air France.
“We’re in discussions with airlines around the world,” she said.”