Air France plans low-cost startup to repel long-haul rivals

Toulouse

AIR France-KLM Group said that it is examining a range of options for entering the low-cost, long-haul travel market in a move that would parallel developments at German rival Deutsche Lufthansa AG.

Europe's largest airline has been working on plans for the venture for more than a year as it seeks to respond to competition from carriers including Norwegian Air Shuttle ASA, French Blue and more traditional foes such as Lufthansa, chief executive officer Jean-Marc Janaillac said in an interview.