Air France's much hyped 'airline for the millennials,' Joon, will close just a year after its launch.
A source told Reuters that Air France's new CEO, Ben Smith, believed the millennial identity was just too complex and complicated.
"He has made clear he doesn't understand the positioning or identity of Joon. It's a question he's raised internally, several times," said the source.
Another source from within the airline is reported as saying even staff didn't understand its branding.
"When Ben Smith got here, he said to us, 'What is this Joon thing?'"
At launch, Joon was likened to a rooftop bar and described as 'chic'. Its cabin crew wore slim line trousers, Le Coq Sportif white sneakers, and sailor striped jackets, made of 60 percent recycled materials.
Joon also called itself a movie theatre in the sky, a laboratory of new services, an entertainment channel and a personal assistant. An identity crisis that ultimately became its downfall.
Air France set up the airline to compete with other low cost carriers in Europe such as Eurowings and Norwegian, but it ended up eating into Air France's share of the market, weakening the premium brand.
All of Joon's employee's will be offered jobs at Air France, but won't be wearing their Le Coq Sportif white sneakers if they accept it.
Newshub.
