This month's airport and just how spotty it is for spotters

In the Spotlight

Interview Providing a with a senior executive in the airline lifeline to industry. Corsica Air Corsica has established itself as an important life-line to the communities of this Mediterranean island since it launched services in 1990. Luigi Vallero speaks to Hervé Pierret, Director General of Air Corsica, about the carrier’s current status, its biggest challenges and long-term plans.

ALW: How many passengers were at the expense of sea journeys. keen to offer improved services to the Air Corsica’s Director carried by Air Corsica in 2014, and ALW: Air Corsica is operating from General Hervé Pierret. mainland for islanders too, Air Corsica AIR CORSICA what is the forecast for the current a relatively small home base, given recently launched a twice weekly all- year? the population of Corsica of around year round link between Ajaccio and 305,000. How do you think the air- Toulouse, this rising to a five times per HP: We carried approximately 1.7 mil- line will develop its business in the week frequency during the peak summer lion passengers in 2014. Forecasts for next five to ten years? season. This caters to the growing busi- the current year estimate a similar total, ness relationships between Corsican probably around 1.65 million, due to the HP: Ever since our inception in 1989 companies and the aerospace industry maturity of the Corsican market where and our maiden flight a year later – based in the south-western French city. our operations are focused. The global initially flying an ATR 72-200 on the Likewise opening up more seasonal air-sea market to and from Corsica has, Corsica to Nice route – we have grown markets such as Ajaccio-Toulon, Figari- This former Air Berlin in recent years, levelled out at around by adding more destinations from our Nantes and Ajaccio-Liège – used as a Airbus A320, F-HDMF (c/n 4463), flew with eight million passengers per annum, four gateways at Ajaccio, Bastia, Calvi hub for the Benelux nations as well as Air Corsica for just consisting of approximately three million and Figari. We are focusing our efforts parts of north-western Germany – has over a year with this by air and five million by sea. Also, the on serving these home bases, and shown some interesting results, and we’ll special Tour de France colour scheme. The availability of suitable hotel accommo- we want this model to continue to be continue to evaluate and open similar aircraft was returned dation on the island is also limiting any the backbone of our operations. We markets in the coming years. Forays to its lessor at the future growth. In addition, the increas- are also looking to open up more sec- into markets outside of Corsica, such end of February ing penetration of low-cost airlines has ondary destinations in France and to as our Marseille-Milan service proved 2014 and later joined Vueling as EC-MBM. started to make a difference, with the neighbouring countries, offering better unsuccessful and we do not expect to AIRTEAMIMAGES.COM/ air transport sector’s share increasing direct accessibility for travellers. Always repeat this any time soon. PHILIPPE NORET

Air Corsica Key Facts Headquarters: Ajaccio, Corsica IATA code: XK ICAO code: CCM Site web: www.aircorsica.com

www.airlinerworld.com 53 This month's airport and just how spotty it is for spotters

In the In the Spotlight ALW: The Corsica/France market is 1997-vintage airframe, F-GHQE (c/n HP: In recent years, like everywhere to other airlines, this has been part of very seasonal. How is Air Corsica 115), which is more expensive to fly else, the Corsican market has been our DNA for many years now, and com- Spotlight addressing this delicate issue? and is only used during the peak under attack from the LCCs. Except on panies, such as Czech Airlines (CSA) summer season. public service obligation (PSO) routes, and Meridiana fly have been among our HP: More than most other airlines where only authorised airlines are repeat customers in recent years. Although Air Corsica’s ALW: How is Air Corsica respond- A320 fleet is relatively around Europe, our services are dic- allowed to fly and fares are set at young, the airline is tated by the seasons. Roughly one third ing to the continuously increasing predefined levels, the rest are open ALW: The current fleet is made up already starting to of the seats available throughout the competition from low-cost carriers markets. In recent years we have seen of ATR 72 and Airbus A320 aircraft. evaluate likely year are deployed during the mid-June (LCCs)? an increasing number of carriers enter- What are the airline’s fleet plans replacements with the new engine option to mid-September peak period, which ing the market. Seasonality neverthe- for the future in terms of numbers (neo) being offered by keeps our fleet constantly busy. We less is a major issue for everybody, and and types? the European also have to wet-lease extra capacity despite a few attempts by other opera- manufacturer being the from other carriers, usually Boeing 737s tors to maintain a presence even during HP: We’re currently happy with our fleet most likely option. from Europe Airpost, but we have also the lean winter months, the market can- size and mix. The ATR 72 family is a leased 747-400s from Corsair previ- not support too much capacity. During reliable and economical workhorse, ously, to cope with the exceptionally the last winter season many routes especially when performing short PSO busy July/August weekend peaks. This were being reviewed due to the lack in routes connecting the four Corsican has its positives and negatives. On one demand. So we have seen competitors airports with Marseille and Nice, as well side this allows us to undertake heavy trying to ‘cherry-pick’ the premium links as flying on longer but leaner rotations. maintenance of our fleet during the win- during the high season and dramatically The A320 is an optimal aircraft for our ter downtime. Yet, to optimise aircraft reduce their presence during the winter. Paris Orly service, as well as flying utilisation, winter is also a period when Air Corsica has responded to this by airline company. Does it intend to the leaner winter months, we hire some some Marseille links and for the longer we wet-lease out some of our fleet to aligning its fare structure with its rivals provide services to third parties as of our pilots to the French-Italian aircraft sectors such as to Liège. Our fleet is help recover capital costs. To make this but with extra benefits, such as a 51lb well as smaller operators? manufacturer supporting its training and still young, with many aircraft being easier we have purchased all six ATR (23kg) luggage allowance, reservation ferry flight operations. Likewise, some delivered new between 2005 and 2013, 72-500s from the manufacturer, and flexibility and a friendly in-flight service, HP: As far as maintenance is con- of our A320 cockpit crews have also so we do not need to embark on a fleet when one aircraft is not being used we including newspapers, as well as hot cerned, Air Corsica has been providing been certified on the larger A330, and modernisation plan until around 2020. Air Corsica’s distinctive either dry- or wet-lease it out to another and cold drinks served with traditional line maintenance support to other carri- we have an agreement with Air Caraïbes Looking into the future we are neverthe- logo is emblazoned on airline. As far as our five-strong Airbus Corsican biscuits and savouries. ers using Ajaccio airport for some time. which sees Air Corsica pilots flying for less starting to evaluate with interest the the tail of one of the A320 fleet is concerned, two aircraft Another interesting feature that we have the French Caribbean carrier during new engine options [neo] of the Airbus Air Corsica ATR 72-500, F-GRPK (c/n 727), sits carrier’s Airbus A320s. are owned and three are flown under ALW: Air Corsica is well structured implemented in the last few years has the winter. Also, we offer medium- to and ATR families, the most likely candi- ALL IMAGES AUTHOR on the apron in the late UNLESS STATED operating leases. This includes an older and organised, much like a larger been an agreement with ATR. During long-term dry- and wet-lease services dates to replace our current fleet. evening sunshine.

Air Corsica Current Fleet Type Reg C/n Airbus A320-211 F-GHQE 115 F-HBSA 3882 F-HBEV 3952 Airbus A320-216 F-HZFM 5887 F-HZPG 5906 F-GRPI 722 F-GRPJ 724 ATR 72-500 F-GRPK 727 F-GRPX 734 F-GRPY 742 F-GRPZ 745

54 AIRLINER WORLD SEPTEMBER 2015 www.airlinerworld.com 55 In the Spotlight

Ground crews prepare Airbus A320, F-HZPG (cn/5906), for its next load of passengers.

ALW: Freight can be a major revenue ALW: Air Corsica has a longstand- Orly, with some of the services flown by generator, especially for an airline ing relationship with Air France, while Air France aircraft and crews. While PSO based on an island. How is Air Corsica Alitalia is another partner. Do you links to Marseille and Nice are also oper- addressing the cargo market? expect more code-shares to be ated under a free-flow codeshare agree- forged with other airlines in the ment with Air France along with other sea- HP: Although passengers are by far coming years? sonal routes. More recently Air Corsica our major revenue component, freight has developed a bilateral free-flow code- also plays an increasingly important HP: With a 13% stake in Air Corsica, Air share agreement with HOP!, the domestic role, especially under PSO rules which France is not only our second largest subsidiary of Air France, on seasonal links state the airline has to support the lives shareholder, but also a major commercial between secondary points in France and of islanders. All our passenger flights – partner, as well as General Sales Agent Corsica, as well as on connections beyond even on the ATR 72s – therefore carry (GSA). The French flag carrier provides Marseille. Our partnership with Alitalia cargo, which mostly consists of newspa- us with handling services and is also our entails the Italian company placing its pers, magazines, pharmaceutical prod- heavy maintenance provider. Despite this, code on our seasonal twice-weekly rota- Air Corsica’s manage- ucts and other items that require short we maintain a complete independence in tions from Ajaccio and Bastia to Rome, as ment team pose in delivery times. These flights are com- all our commercial policies. Co-operation well as on connecting services via Nice. front of the airline’s plemented by the 737 Freighter services with Air France extends to jointly flying – At the moment we do not envisage any first Airbus A320. Director General Hervé operated by Europe Airpost from Ajaccio on a 50/50 capacity/revenue (including more codesharing agreements, although Pierret is second from to Marseille and Paris. In 2014 alone we subsidies) basis – on all PSO rotations we are constantly increasing interlining left. AIR CORSICA carried 2,500 tons of freight. between Ajaccio, Bastia and Calvi to Paris with other airlines.

The author would like to thank Hervé Pierret, Director General and Philippe Dandrieux, President of Air Corsica for their hospitality and support with this article.