After New York La Compagnie looks at flights to Tuscany and Rome
After nearly a decade spent flying between Paris (and then also London) and New York, in April 2022 the only airline [...]
La Compagnie
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After nearly ten years spent flying between Paris (and then also London) and New York, in April 2022 l's only all-Business company in the world, the French La Compagnie, has launched operations from Milan Malpensa to the Big Apple, Newark Airport. The Flight Club asked Country Manager, Gianbattista Sassera, for a review of the first twelve months of operations.
A year ago you 'jumped' into an already dense market of operators, as no less than six different airlines were already flying from Milan to New York. Can you tell us how it has gone so far in terms of load factor and accounts?
"The first year of operation on the Milan-New York route, launched in April 2022, recorded excellent results, nearly 15,000 passengers who flew La Compagnie and an overall net result of +1 million euros in 2022. To have achieved such a performance after the first year of flight recovery following the pandemic was really positive. Milan-NY had a small loss in 2022, but we were still positive from April to August 2022 thanks to the U.S. market.
Summer 2022 proved to be the peak period in terms of demand and traffic, with a noteworthy performance: in June, July and August we achieved a load factor of 77%, a figure that demonstrates the continued appeal not only of the destination, but also of the offerings on board."
What are the main types of passengers who have chosen to fly with you this year?
"La Compagnie's innovative business model has been received with interest by the Italian market.
The most common profile of our passengers on the Milan-NY route is 60% business and 40% leisure, with significant growth especially among small/medium businesses. Fashion, art and the creative class in general are La Compagnie's 'early adopters'."
Since last summer, prices of flights to the usa have skyrocketed, including business class flights. have you, who have a 1,500 euro round-trip starting fare, noticed a positive effect on your booking volume?
"Certainly our competitive fares have brought new customers to choose La Compagnie since last year. Our offer starts at 1,500 euros roundtrip for a full business class travel experience, which includes lounge access at departure and arrival airports, fast track for faster boarding without waiting, free and unlimited wi-fi on board, and a gourmet menu offered by international chefs."
What kind of summer do you expect in terms of demand? Will you maintain the five flights per week? And is there room in the future to move to a daily frequency, at least at certain times of the year?
"The summer promises good performance. During the peak summer season, service will be operated at least every other day, for an average of 5.5 rotations per week, an increase of +41% compared to the same period in 2022. The number of frequencies is clearly calculated based on demand and average fill rate, and our company's strength also lies in its flexibility and ease of adjusting strategies and resources according to market and demand trends."
Your CEO, Christian Vernet, has spoken in recent months about the arrival of two more aircraft in the fleet, not excluding that it could be the ultra-long-haul model of your A321, namely the XLR. This could translate into the opening of new markets in Europe... Staying with Italy, what would be, for you, the most candidate cities for a connection (perhaps seasonal) with New York?
"We plan to acquire two new aircraft by 2026. The first will be dedicated to capitalizing on the excellent results of the summer season and to grow and consolidate our presence on existing routes with more frequencies for summer 2025. The second aircraft, on the other hand, will enable us to develop and extend our network by opening new routes in 2026. Besides Milan, the most important basins for us at the moment are Tuscany and Rome, according to our e-commerce statistics."
In the days of the agreement between ITA Airways and Lufthansa, there was talk of the possibility of an ITA Airways Linate-New York flight with the A321LRs that the airline will receive from next fall/winter. Do you think this is a likely possibility, given that, in fact, the law today that limits flights from Linate to EU destinations would have to be changed? And, if that happens, would you consider moving your connection to from Milan to Linate?
"As in many strategic decisions for the company, the element of our flexibility works in our favor. Should this significant change occur, we could certainly initiate the necessary research to assess whether a flight from Linate would better meet Italian demand, but that will all need to be verified in due course."
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