received this email from AF today
Dear Sir/Madam,
The strike action which started on Monday 15 September has finally come to an end. We would once again like to offer our sincere apologies for the difficulties caused by this situation.
Beyond dissatisfaction, many of you have sent us messages of encouragement and support for which we thank you most sincerely.
As this conflict has affected your activities and your lives, we owe you an explanation.
The air transport market has changed, your travel habits have changed and it is up to us to adapt. There is increasing demand for low-cost flights in Europe and France, and while our offering was insufficiently adapted to this segment, our competitors have been taking advantage of this growth.
We are now going to step up development of Transavia, the Air France-KLM Group’s low-cost airline in order to compete with our rivals on a level playing field. This project is vital for our Group, which is why, even if we made every effort for the strike to end as quickly as possible, we had no choice but to move forward with this plan.
The development of Transavia in France is good news for you as, in addition to Air France and HOP!, we plan to extend our product line and better meet the needs of customers seeking low fares while taking advantage of the quality services provided by the Air France-KLM Group. This will also be the opportunity for you to discover new destinations.
The development of Transavia in France is also good news for the French people, as the project will create 1,000 new jobs, including 250 for pilots.
Our strategy is to offer you a wide range of services, including low-cost and very high premium products, for both your professional and leisure trips. We will therefore be progressively introducing our new long-haul cabins, bringing you the Company’s best products and services.
With the support of all Air France staff, we are pleased to welcome you back on board our flights and will make every effort to regain your trust.