Janaillac presents his plan of flight and his co-pilot Air France – Echoes

It’s this Thursday at noon that Jean-Marc Janaillac will unveil its strategic project ” trust together “. The CEO of Air France-KLM is expected to announce its choice, in particular regarding the strategy of low cost, the division of roles between the different companies of the group, and especially, the efforts to improve the competitiveness of Air France. As many of the goals that will be negotiated with the trade unions, by the end of the winter.

However, we already know who will be in charge of their implementation at Air France. The board of directors of Air France-KLM has in effect endorsed on Wednesday the appointment of Franck Terner, the current director of maintenance, to the post of director general of Air France. It will be the 17^e boss executive of Air France, in replacement of Frédéric Gagey, who will become chief financial officer of Air France-KLM.

However, unlike its predecessors, Franck Terner will not be CEO of Air France, but simply managing director. The chairman of the board of directors of Air France will be ensured by the CEO of Air France-KLM, Jean-Marc Janaillac. A governance that had already been adopted in 2009 by Jean-Cyril Spinetta and Pierre-Henri Gourgeon. This will allow the boss of the group to fly, if need be, in direct negotiations around the implementation of its strategic plan at Air France.

The name of Franck Terner had already circulated in the past, for the management of Air France. Entered the company in 1988 as a production engineer on the Concorde, Franck Terner, fifty-six years, has spent his entire career in maintenance. Director of the branch engineerring & maintenance, Air France-KLM since 2013, he can claim to lead the only division in the group that is both cost-effective and high-growth, and one of the few successful mergers of the activities of Air France and KLM.

the world Number two of the maintenance behind Lufthansa Technik, AFI KLM E &M generates approximately 5 % of the group’s turnover and gaining market share. Married to a hostess, Franck Terner has a reputation as a leader of men. It has a good international experience, having successfully led several external growth operations, particularly in the United States and does not have the reputation of belonging to such or such a clan within Air France. A neutrality useful for those who wants to start on new bases. It has been preferred to Lionel Guérin, managing director of HOP Air France, which had been a candidate for the presidency of Air France-KLM in 2011, in the face of Alexandre de Juniac, and this year in the face of Jean-Marc Janaillac. Lionel Guerin has successfully piloted the launch of the brand Hop ! and the consolidation of regional subsidiaries of Air France. Holder of a licence of drivers, it will benefit from a certain capital of symp athy among the sailors.

However, its application has, it seems, once again, met with some opposition, both internal and external. In particular, the director of the Agency of the interests of the State (EPA), Martin Vial. The gossips believe they see in this veto, the legacy of the dispute that had opposed the companion of the boss of the EPA, Florence Parly, Lionel Guérin, when the latter was deputy director-general, activity short-haul Air France. The result of the partial integration of this activity in the regional centre led by Lionel Ghérin, Florence Parly had left the company to join the SNCF.

Bruno Trévidic, Les Echos

The previous plans of Air France

Transform 2015 Announced at the beginning of 2012 and accepted by the main trade unions, the restructuring plan foresaw 2 billion euros in savings, the removal of 5.122 jobs and 20 % of productivity gains, the development of low-cost Transavia France, the consolidation of regional subsidiaries and the renovations of the cabins.

Perform 2020 Launched in September 2014, this second plan was the return to growth, while continuing efforts to improve productivity. It is the origin of the long strike of pilots of Air France, in the autumn of 2014, and will not prevent new savings measures in early 2015.