[Intl-tobacco] Air France to Ban All Smoking, Offers Passengers Help

[Robert Weissman]

Air France to Ban All Smoking, Offers Passengers Help (Update1)
by Andrea Rothman
Source: Bloomberg News, Friday, 8/18/00

Paris, Aug. 18 (Bloomberg) -- Air France is moving to ban smoking on all
flights, with a twist: it will offer paid counseling on quitting the habit
via telephone or in person.

The carrier has been gradually phasing out smoking on many long-haul
routes, including North American flights, as well as within Europe.
Starting Nov. 1, the policy will be extended to all destinations,
including Asian and South American routes.

The world's major airlines have been shifting to smoke-free flying since
the mid-1990s. Delta Air Lines in 1994 became the first U.S. carrier to
forbid smoking on all flights and since then most others have followed
suit. Air France may be the only one, though, to offer counseling to
smokers.

``That sounds like something Virgin Atlantic would do,'' said Keith
McMullan, managing director of Aviation Economics, which provides
consulting to airlines.  ``The French are pretty dedicated smokers,'' so
the policy makes sense, he said.

The airline said it was taking the extra step to help smokers deal with
the difficulties of nicotine deprivation on flights lasting several hours.

``Air France is well aware of the effect on some of its customers of not
being able to smoke over long periods of time,'' the airline said. So it
is offering sessions, at 200 francs ($28) per meeting, with a doctor
specializing in smokers' disorders.

The sessions will be available Saturday mornings at the Invalides Air
Terminal in Paris starting Sept. 2.

The carrier is also providing 24-hour telephone hotline at 98 centimes (14
cents) a minute, not including taxes, for people battling the urge for a
cigarette. A nicotine substitute will be available on board all Air France
long-haul flights.

Air France shares fell 0.16 euro, or 0.8 percent, to 20.65 euros after
declining as much as 1.7 percent to 20.45.