Air France KLM 'nation's most popular carrier'

Transport Correspondent

Thursday 13 September 2012

AIR FRANCE KLM says it is now the most popular long haul carrier operating in Scotland following a surge in passengers choosing to fly via Amsterdam or Paris instead of Heathrow.

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DAMIEN HENDERSON Transport Correspondent

The airline, formed from a merger of the Dutch and French national carriers in 2004, said it now accounts for 24% of the long haul market, up three percentage points on 2011, when it carried 1.2 million people to and from Scotland.

It is thought the airline's success has placed it ahead of British Airways though the figures could not be independently verified.KLM put on an extra daily flight between Glasgow and Schipol last year, taking the total number of flights between the Dutch capital and Scotland to 17.It also carries long haul passengers via Flybe's Inverness to Schipol service, which has seen significant passenger demand since being launched in 2011. Air France, meanwhile, operates three daily flights to Charles de Gaulle airport from both Edinburgh and Aberdeen.Henri Hourcade, AF/KLM's general manager for the UK and Ireland, said the airline's growth in Scotland had come from new routes from Charles de Gaulle and Schipol to important emerging markets, particularly in China and Africa.British Airways, the main carrier operating out of Heathrow, has long complained that the lack of a third runway has constrained its ability to expand routes and would drive passengers to European hub airports.Around two-thirds of passengers travelling on Air France KLM flights from Scotland transfer to long haul destinations, Mr Hourcade said.The airline has launched nine new routes to China together with African routes – important for its oil and gas industry."Amsterdam is very much appreciated by our customers, it is a quick, efficient airport, it is an award winning airport," he said. Though the growth has been dominated by business travel, Mr Hourcade said Chinese students travelling to Scottish universities as well as middle class tourists had also played a role.

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Air France KLM 'nation's most popular carrier'

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