Library
Author: Bruno Vielle
Publisher: Editions techniques pour l'automobile et l'industrie (ETAI)
192 pages, format 24x32, 1426gr
Average retail price: 45.00 à 49.00 euros
IN FRENCH ONLY
Contents
- Preface
- The Planned Failure 1954–1959
- Successful Takeoff 1960–1963
- Independence with the Caravelle 1964–1969
- Air Inter Emerges from Turbulence in Tricolor 1970–1975
- From "The Easy Plane" to "The Airplane for Everyone" 1976–1981
- LOTI Waiting for Europe
- 1982–1989
- Turbulent Landing 1990–1997
- Appendices
Summary
Air Inter was founded in 1954 due to the refusal of French international airlines to invest in the development of domestic routes. “A domestic network can only be unprofitable!” they thought. While an initial attempt in 1958 proved them right, in 1960, subsidized by local authorities, Air Inter took off toward success. As a showcase of the national aerospace industry, it then democratized air travel through a bold commercial policy and a continuous increase in aircraft capacity.
However, on April 1, 1997, Air Inter disappeared: faced with the consolidation of French airlines under Air France and the liberalization of European airspace, it was forced to merge with Air France. Nevertheless, the foundations of Air Inter—simple and spartan service—persist today, ensuring the commercial success of low-cost airlines.
This book brings the Air Inter saga to life. Illustrated with nearly 350 photos, it precisely recounts the company’s domestic flight plan: an unusually long gestation, a failed takeoff, an unexpectedly exceptional success, culminating in the turbulent landing of 1997.
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Autho: Philippe-Michel Thibault
Publisher: Le cherche-midi
286 pages, format 15,5x22, 520gr
Average retail price: 22.00 à 25.00 euros
IN FRENCH ONLY
Contents
- The Determination of a Man
- A Market to Capture
- Ecce Homo
- The Admiral’s Meccano
- Afloat
- The Race Against Time
- A Love Triangle? No!
- Farewell Europe!
- The Following Days Do Not Sing
Summary
On April 1, 1997, the axe fell: Air Inter disappeared.
For the 11,000 employees of this unique airline, it was not an easy April Fool’s to swallow. This battle ended in public indifference. Air France could be satisfied to absorb a one-of-a-kind experience that began forty-three years earlier, on November 12, 1954. Air Inter had carried out a true “internal revolution” in France. The airline opened up isolated regions, reshaped the territory, and democratized air travel.
However, history often returns through the window when it is dismissed too early through the door. The facts bear this out: Air Inter literally invented the famous “low-cost” products, with its renowned “spartan” service paving the way for the budget airlines that today attract an ever-growing clientele. Philippe-Michel Thibault had access to Air Inter’s most confidential archives.
Based on thorough research, the author reconstructed a narrative that is both political and industrial. He recounts the outbursts, the dramas, and other intrigues, as well as the airline’s achievements. An essential perspective for understanding today’s world of air transport.
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