- Title: FRANCE: Air France sets up crisis cell for French citizens leaving Japan
- Date: 15th March 2011
- Summary: ROISSY-EN-FRANCE (MARCH 15, 2011) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR OF AIR FRANCE BUILDING AT PARIS' CHARLES DE GAULLE AIRPORT INTERIOR OF AIR FRANCE OFFICES MINIATURE AIR FRANCE AIRPLANE MODEL FRENCH SECRETARY OF STATE FOR TRANSPORT THIERRY MARIANI ARRIVING OFFICE MARIANI BEING INTERVIEWED BY JOURNALISTS (SOUNDBITE) (French) FRENCH SECRETARY OF STATE FOR TRANSPORT THIERRY MARIANI SAYING: "I have noticed that if we want a seat, we can get one. And at a fair price. In the beginning, there was a classic commercial adjustment, there was a hesitation for 24 hours, where people who immediately scrambled for tickets had to pay very high prices for them. That's why the the airline has extended a considerable and significant discount and we should acknowledge that." VARIOUS OF MARIANI BEING INTERVIEWED BY JOURNALISTS (SOUNDBITE) (French) AIR FRANCE CHIEF EXECUTIVE PIERRE-HENRI GOURGEON SAYING: "We are doing as everyone else is, we're following the situation hour by hour, we are in constant communication with our local teams, we have all the information networks -- the big medias but also the wires and the decisions taken by the Japanese government and so it is obvious that if the situation were to become difficult in Tokyo, if there were the smallest health risk, we could consider that. For the moment, it seems it isn't so, so we continue to operate out of Narita. But at this point I don't know what will happen tomorrow or day after tomorrow." AIR FRANCE CRISIS CENTRE (SOUNDBITE) (French) AIR FRANCE HEAD OF THE RESPONSE UNIT, HENRI DE PEYRLONGUE SAYING: "The advantage of the system that we have put into place, is that it can evolve, meaning in terms of the aircraft capacity, in terms of the routing of the flights, meaning we can even go towards Osaka instead of Narita, if the situation requires that. We are in permanent contact with our local teams to see what transportation is available to repatriate people, if the demand for repatriation is made, which isn't the case yet." AIR FRANCE EMPLOYEES STANDING NEXT TO AIRPLANE MODEL MAP OF THE WORLD ON WALL JAPAN ON MAP
- Embargoed: 30th March 2011 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: France, France
- Country: France
- Topics: International Relations,Disasters / Accidents / Natural catastrophes
- Reuters ID: LVA79EU2LPLONFHD2N36DIIBLHY8
- Story Text: Air France said on Tuesday (March 15) it had set up a crisis cell for French citizens wishing to leave Japan as fears grow of nuclear contamination in the wake of the devastating earthquake and tsunami that hit the country.
While airlines from Asia and Europe halted flights to Tokyo on Tuesday, diverting planes south, French Secretary of State for Transport, Thierry Mariani, expressed his confidence in Air France's capacity to bring home French citizens in the best possible way.
"I have noticed that if we want a seat, we can get one. And at a fair price. In the beginning, there was a classic commercial adjustment, there was a hesitation for 24 hours, where people who immediately scrambled for tickets had to pay very high prices for them. That's why the the airline has extended a considerable and significant discount and we should acknowledge that," Mariani said.
Air France Chief Executive Pierre-Henri Gourgeon said passengers wishing to embark on flights would have access to them from all traditional outlets but that predicting the amount of passengers coming to France was impossible at this stage.
He added that the eventuality of a nuclear meltdown could provoke a minor shift in strategy within the repatriation operation.
"We are doing as everyone else is, we're following the situation hour by hour, we are in constant communication with our local teams, we have all the information networks -- the big medias but also the wires and the decisions taken by the Japanese government and so it is obvious that if the situation were to become difficult in Tokyo, if there were the smallest health risk, we could consider that. For the moment, it seems it isn't so, so we continue to operate out of Narita. But at this point I don't know what will happen tomorrow or day after tomorrow," Gourgeon said.
However, Air France's Head of the Response Unit, Henri De Peyrlongue, said that the cell had been conceived to cope with changing scenarios and seemed confident the French airline could deal with additional crises.
"The advantage of the system that we have put into place, is that it can evolve, meaning in terms of the aircraft capacity, in terms of the routing of the flights, meaning we can even go towards Osaka instead of Narita, if the situation requires that. We are in permanent contact with our local teams to see what transportation is available to repatriate people, if the demand for repatriation is made, which isn't the case yet," Peyrlongue said.
The airline said that resorting to military airports would be an unlikely scenario as French airports would have no problem coping with the potentially increased influx of passengers. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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