La Compagnie Marks 10 Years of Operations

Roughly 10 years ago, an interesting airline popped into existence and many were unsure about its business practices. It wasn’t clear if the airline’s business model made sense and how long the airline would be around. Well, that airline is La Compagnie, and it is celebrating its 10^th anniversary this month.

The airline launched flights on July 21, 2014, out of Newark Liberty International Airport to Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris using two Boeing 757 aircraft in an all-business class 2×2 configuration. The airline then went on to add a second route to London Luton from Newark.

At the time there was much concern about the viability of an all-business class airline offering 2×2 that was already an older product at the time. To add to the uncertainty, the airline offered relatively cheap fares that left many wondering if those fares would enable the airline to squeeze out a profit.

Somehow the airline still chugged along and relocated Paris operations to Orly from Charles de Gaulle. Further expansion came in 2018 when seasonal service started to Nice from Newark.

Shortly after that the airline took delivery of its two Airbus A321neos in 2019 which it currently operates. The airline’s Boeing 757 aircraft were retired later that year.

The COVID pandemic was a trying time for the airline. It completely suspended all commercial operations at the start of the pandemic for over a year. It wasn’t until June 2021 that the airline resumed service. Eventually, as demand returned, the airline began offering service between Paris Orly and Tel Aviv and between Newark and Milan.

It’s been a wild ride for the airline. I’m personally surprised that it has been around 10 years. I recall the launch and I was rather skeptical about the future of the airline. It has come a long way and could continue growing its boutique operations. La Compagnie has two Airbus A321XLR aircraft on order and seems to be settling into the niche it has carved out for itself.

The airline even reported its first-ever profit in 2022 of 1 million Euros. It’s operated over 9,000 flights and carried over 480,000 passengers since starting operations. The majority of passengers, 54 percent, are from the United States, 39 percent are from France, the remaining primarily coming from the rest of Europe. The airline is continuously focusing on strengthening the brand’s awareness across Europe to appeal to a broader audience. It would not be surprising to find that most people have not heard of the airline.

La Compagnie will continue chugging along doing its thing. New routes are going to be announced next year in January, and new aircraft will be joining the fleet in the Fall 2026.

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Hemal Gosai

Hemal took his first flight at four years old and has been an avgeek since then. When he isn't working as an analyst he's frequently found outside watching planes fly overhead or flying in them. His favorite plane is the 747-8i which Lufthansa thankfully flies to EWR allowing for some great spotting. He firmly believes that the best way to fly between JFK and BOS is via DFW and is always willing to go for that extra elite qualifying mile. Hemal's opinions are his own and do not reflect those of his employer.

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