L'Avion

L'Avion was the trading brand of Elysair SAS, a French airline created to operate a premium-only transatlantic service. The carrier was founded in 2006 by French entrepreneur Frantz Yvelin and was wholly owned by Société de Participation Aérienne. Although the legal and operational identity remained Elysair, the business adopted the L'Avion name in late autumn 2006 after market research indicated that the name tested positively in both France and the United States. The name, meaning “the plane” in French, was intended to give the young airline a readily understandable identity in its two principal markets. L'Avion began scheduled service on 3 January 2007, flying from Paris Orly Airport to Newark Liberty International Airport. Its proposition was deliberately narrower than that of a conventional network carrier: it offered only business-class seats on a long-haul route linking the Paris and New York metropolitan areas. The airline did not operate an economy cabin, and its aircraft were configured for a total of 90 passengers in a two-by-two seating arrangement. This positioned L'Avion alongside other specialist premium transatlantic ventures of the period, including Eos Airlines, MAXjet Airways and Silverjet. The airline operated two Boeing 757-200 aircraft that had been modified for the premium configuration. The modifications were carried out by Gamco in Abu Dhabi, with engineering and on-site supervision provided by Northview Aviation. Lufthansa Technik handled maintenance, while H4 Aerospace assisted with certification. Onboard features included laptop power connections at every seat, French food and wine, seats reclining to approximately 140 degrees, and individual seven-inch-screen digEplayer XT on-demand entertainment units. By 2008, Elysair had approximately 100 employees. L'Avion's operating plan centered on a high-yield, limited-capacity product rather than a broad route network. The company had considered expansion toward the Middle East, but its independent development ended when British Airways agreed in mid-2008 to acquire Elysair for £54 million. The transaction was completed on 2 July 2008. During August, the L'Avion operation began progressive integration into OpenSkies, British Airways' wholly owned subsidiary created for transatlantic services. The two operations were fully merged on 4 April 2009, after which the combined airline operated under the OpenSkies name. L'Avion therefore ceased to exist as an independent airline brand in 2009.

L'Avion was the commercial identity of Elysair SAS, a French airline established in 2006 to serve the premium end of the transatlantic market. The venture was founded by Frantz Yvelin and operated under the ownership of Société de Participation Aérienne. Its initial identity was Elysair, which was retained as the airline's call sign, but the company adopted the L'Avion brand in late autumn 2006. Market research in France and the United States reportedly supported the change, suggesting that the French name was acceptable and memorable in both markets. The business was conceived around a focused all-business-class model. Rather than competing as a conventional full-service airline with several cabins and a broad network, L'Avion aimed to provide a premium-only link between Paris and the New York area. Its first scheduled service operated on 3 January 2007 between Paris Orly Airport and Newark Liberty International Airport. These remained the airline's listed destinations: Paris served as its French base, while Newark was its sole United States destination. L'Avion used two Boeing 757-200 aircraft modified specifically for the premium mission. The aircraft accommodated 90 passengers in a two-by-two arrangement. Cabin features included seats reclining to about 140 degrees, laptop power at each seat, French food and wine, and individual digEplayer XT entertainment devices with seven-inch screens. Gamco in Abu Dhabi performed the aircraft modifications, with Northview Aviation providing detailed engineering and on-site supervision. Lufthansa Technik was responsible for maintenance, and H4 Aerospace contributed to the certification process. This combination of a small fleet, a single route and an all-business-class cabin reflected the airline's attempt to offer a more exclusive alternative to standard transatlantic service. The concept belonged to a wider period in which specialist airlines sought to serve business travelers with premium-only aircraft. L'Avion was comparable in broad positioning to ventures such as Eos Airlines, MAXjet Airways and Silverjet. Its management also considered future expansion toward the Middle East, but the available record identifies no completed Middle Eastern route. By 2008, Elysair employed approximately 100 people. The airline's independent phase ended through a corporate transaction rather than a gradual voluntary withdrawal. In mid-2008, British Airways announced an agreement to acquire Elysair for £54 million. Completion took place on 2 July 2008. British Airways then moved to combine the acquired operation with OpenSkies, its wholly owned subsidiary focused on transatlantic flying. Integration progressed during August 2008, and the two operations were fully merged on 4 April 2009. The surviving operation traded as OpenSkies, making 2009 the end of L'Avion as a separate airline brand. Its principal historical significance lies in its concentrated experiment with a French, single-route, all-business-class transatlantic model and in its subsequent absorption into a larger British Airways structure.

• 2009

  Operations merge into OpenSkies

  [1]L'Avionen.wikipedia.org

  L'Avion and OpenSkies completed their operational merger on 4 April 2009.

• 2008

  Acquisition by British Airways

  [1]L'Avionen.wikipedia.org

  British Airways agreed to buy Elysair for £54 million; the transaction was completed on 2 July 2008.

• 2008

  Integration into OpenSkies begins

  [1]L'Avionen.wikipedia.org

  The L'Avion operation began progressive integration into OpenSkies during August.

• 2007

  First commercial flight

  [1]L'Avionen.wikipedia.org

  L'Avion launched its Paris Orly–Newark service on 3 January 2007.

• 2006

  Elysair is founded

  [1]L'Avionen.wikipedia.org

  Frantz Yvelin founded Elysair, the French airline company that would trade under the L'Avion brand.

• 2006

  The L'Avion brand is adopted

  [1]L'Avionen.wikipedia.org

  Following market research in France and the United States, Elysair changed its public brand to L'Avion while retaining Elysair as its call sign.

Premium, all-business-class transatlantic aviation focused on a high-comfort Paris–New York travel experience.

• Scheduled passenger airline service · 2007

  All-business-class transatlantic service

  L'Avion's core offering was a scheduled premium-only flight between Paris Orly and Newark Liberty International Airport. The airline operated no economy cabin on this route, concentrating its capacity on business travelers and other passengers willing to pay for a more spacious and specialized long-haul experience.

• Aircraft and cabin product · 2007

  Boeing 757-200 premium cabin

  The airline used two Boeing 757-200 aircraft modified for an all-business-class layout. Each aircraft accommodated 90 passengers in a two-by-two configuration. The cabin included seats reclining to approximately 140 degrees, laptop power at every seat and individual seven-inch digEplayer XT entertainment units.

• In-flight service · 2007

  French onboard hospitality

  L'Avion differentiated its premium cabin with French food and wine service. The hospitality proposition complemented the airline's French identity and its focus on a refined business-class experience for the Paris–New York market.

• 2009

  Complete integration into OpenSkiesStrategy

  Background

  Following the British Airways acquisition, the L'Avion operation was being combined with the carrier's wholly owned subsidiary OpenSkies.

  Action taken

  The two operations completed their merger on 4 April 2009 and continued under the OpenSkies name.

  Aftermath

  L'Avion ceased to operate as an independent airline brand.

  Source

• 2008

  Sell Elysair to British AirwaysM&A

  Background

  L'Avion was operating as a small specialist carrier with a focused route and fleet.

  Action taken

  British Airways agreed to acquire Elysair for £54 million, completing the transaction on 2 July 2008.

  Aftermath

  British Airways progressively integrated the operation into OpenSkies, with the full merger completed in April 2009.

  Acquisition price. £54 million (Agreement announced in mid-2008; transaction completed 2 July 2008)

  Source

• 2007

  Launch the Paris–Newark routeProduct launch

  Background

  L'Avion was established around a premium-only transatlantic model.

  Action taken

  The airline began operating from Paris Orly to Newark Liberty on 3 January 2007 with business-class-only Boeing 757 service.

  Aftermath

  Paris and Newark remained the airline's identified destinations during its independent operating period.

  Source

• 2006

  Adopt the L'Avion commercial brandStrategy

  Background

  Elysair evaluated its public identity through market research conducted in France and the United States.

  Action taken

  The company changed its trading brand to L'Avion while keeping Elysair as its call sign.

  Aftermath

  The new brand was used for the airline's scheduled launch in January 2007.

  Source

1. 1L'Avionen.wikipedia.org