AOM-Air Liberté and Air Littoral : some blood and tears

A loss of 2.5 billion francs in 2000 : before the labour-management committee, Marc Rochet has presented the measures he intends to implement in order to stop the dramatic financial loss.

'The situation is serious, very serious'.That's what kept on repeating Marc Rochet, the new boss of the second French air pole, when he addressed the labour-management committees of the three airline companies AOM, Air Liberté and Air Littoral on Tuesday February 20th. In 2000, the losses were up to 2.5 billion francs and the whole firm lives thanks to a back-up of 10 million francs a day. Marc Rochet declared he hasn't been nominated in order to dismantle and to sell by parts, but to control the financial loss and to try to save the companies.His method ? To accelerate the reconciliation of AOM and Air Liberté. The new company will operate under the name of Air Liberté. It will have only one code and one single trademark from March 25th, the date of the launching of the summer program. This is also an opportunity for Marc Rochet to increase the business receipts and to save money by stopping what looses the most money. So, he would aim at non-profitable lines (however, the flights from Nice don't seem to be concerned by a possible plan of business line suppressions).Another part of the plan : the social part. Before March 16th, Marc Rochet will try to get an agreement which would harmonize the working conditions between the three companies, an agreement which would include the reduction of working hours for each one of the staff categories. What a colossal work. Nevertheless, Marc Rochet was very vague about the social plan. But the rumours are talking about 400 to 2.000 layoffs over a little bit more than 6.000 jobs in France. In brief, some blood and tears…