Air France to launch new lower-cost airline after pilot backing

Paris

AIR France said it will move forward with plans to launch a new lower-cost airline this autumn after the project won approval from the main SNPL pilots' union on Monday.

The plan, dubbed "Boost", is Air France's response to pressure from Gulf carriers. It will operate 10 long-haul and 18 short-haul aircraft at lower costs than its main brand in a bid to restore some routes to profita-bility and gain new customers.

The company will begin offering the lower-cost medium-range…