Air France (AF, Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG)) is planning to downsize its cabin crew by 500 via a voluntary retirement scheme, a spokeswoman for the airline said on Tuesday, May 14. The move is part of a raft of measures the French carrier, along with its partner, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines (KL, Amsterdam Schiphol (AMS)), have had to enforce, in a bid to return to profitability following heavy losses in the last financial year. Dubbed "Transform 2015", Air France-KLM has allocated EUR471million to the workforce restructuring drive which saw roughly 3'300 out of 100'000 staff voluntarily leaving the airline group in 2012. The plan targets 5'122 voluntary departures this year.

Air Lituanica (Vilnius International (VNO)) is a new Lithuanian niche carrier that is planning to begin flights to Brussels National Zaventem (BRU), Amsterdam Schiphol (AMS) and Berlin from July 1. Speaking at the Routes Europe conference, Chief Commercial Officer, Simonas Bartkus, said flights will begin once its first EMB-170 leased from Estonian Air (OV, Tallinn Ülemiste (TLL))) and ex-TRIP Linhas Aéreas (T4, Campinas Viracopos (VCP)) EMB-175 (c/n 17000017) (from lessor ECC Leasing) are delivered, with plans to add Munich Franz Josef Strauss International (MUC), Prague Vaclav Havel Ruzyne (PRG) and Moscow Sheremetyevo International (SVO) thereafter. In the long term, Air Lituanica, using a fleet of 5 aircraft, plans to connecting Vilnius International (VNO) with points in western Europe, Scandinavia, Russia and the CIS with small jets on high frequency rotations and with a two-class product to attract corporate traffic. Potential plans may include using smaller aircraft orders to serve thin business routes, especially to Scandinavia, Lithuania’s biggest trading partner. Bartkus said the airline is keen to partner airlines not currently represented in Lithuania’s market, such as Air France (AF, Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG)), Air Berlin (AB, Berlin Tegel (TXL)), CSA Czech Airlines (OK, Prague Vaclav Havel Ruzyne (PRG)) and KLM Royal Dutch Airlines (KL, Amsterdam Schiphol (AMS)) while Air Lituanica’s shareholders are likely to be open to the idea of investment from a bigger partner in the carrier in future.

KLM Royal Dutch Airlines (KL, Amsterdam Schiphol (AMS)) has placed an order with US aircraft manufacturer, Boeing (BOE, Chicago O'Hare International (ORD)), for one B777-300(ER), it's ninth aircraft of the type. No exact delivery date has been given. The addition comes as the Dutch carrier, in conjunction with partner Air France (AF, Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG)), moves to cut heavy losses, partly stemming from high fuel bills, by gradually phasing out its fleet of six remaining ageing MD-11s and replacing them with A330-200s, A330-300s and B777-300(ER)s.

Vietnam Airlines (VN, Hanoi Noibai International (HAN)) is set to retire its remaining fleet of four Airbus Industrie (AIB, Toulouse Blagnac (TLS)) A320-200s later this month, with the fleet's final flights scheduled for May 19. Based out of Ho Chi Minh City Tan Son Nhat International (SGN), the A320s currently serve Da Nang International (DAD), Haiphong Catbi (HPH), Phu Quoc International (PQC) and Thanh Hoa (THD). The retirement of the A320s marks the end of an era for the Vietnamese carrier, whose first set of three A320s arrived in October 1993, on wet-lease from Air France (AF, Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG)).

Air France (AF, Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG)) is extending its operational changes to Bangui M'Poko (BGF) until late-May 2013. Under the changes, a technical stop in N'Djamena (NDJ) will be incorporated into outbound flights from Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG). While no specific explanation for the stop has been given, sources have speculated to a possible shortage of Jet A1 in Bangui exacerbated by the recent imposition of sanctions, travel restrictions and an asset freeze by the African Union on the new rebel regime - Séléka CPSK-CPJP-UFDR.