Reconciling the demands of retailing with the constraints of air transport demands flexible and reliable logistics.

Flexible, to maximise sales.

There is only a limited amount of space available on board.

• Therefore it is vitally important to tailor the goods (type and quantity) available to meet demand, which varies according to destination, class and the reason for travel.
• The amount of goods, which can be carried, varies according to aircraft type.

Crossing these two variables generates a large number of combinations or types of equipment within the aircraft.

Reliable, in order to increase profitability.

In-flight Sales generate important and varied flows (trolleys, products, and cash) which have to be tracked and reconciled with precision. Absolute accuracy is a must, if one takes into account the unitary value of the goods, the customs and fiscal risk on duty-free goods, and the mandatory requirements of airline security.

The production process :

- AIR implements a bonded warehouse manned by a dedicated team, in the vicinity of the airlines main hub. In our company language, it is called the Unit.

The Unit will provide :

• the reception and stock-holding of duty-free goods and consumables;
• the preparation and delivery of trolleys ready for departure;
• the collection and inventory of trolleys upon return;
• management of consumables (weights, security envelopes for cash, etc...);
• the programming and maintenance of in-flight sales computers.

¯A.I.R. will work out with the client company a suitably adapted cash register system.

- A.I.R. will take charge of customs formalities and will in particular undertake the completion of all documentation demanded by the relevant customs authorities.

These tried processes and procedures enable A.I.R to deal with 800 daily trolleys arriving or departing from Roissy, based main Unit.

The AIRPLAN information system

A.I.R.'s global process is controlled by a powerful computerised system, which controls flows safely and which provides maximum business transparency for the client company.

A.I.R. has invested millions of French Francs to develop AIRPLAN, a high-performance information system.

AIRPLAN organises :

• the production of sales trolleys (contents, labelling, completion of customs documentation™),
• programming the on board sales computers and then using the collected data, information on the sales achieved by airline personnel can be used to maintain an up-to-date and detailed marketing base (sales per day, per destination, per class of travel™)
• Flow control : AIRPLAN allows the tracking and reconciliation of product cash flows.

The exclusive advantage of AIRPLAN is its capacity for vertical integration.

AIRPLAN has been conceived around a three-tier structure designed to allow its interfacing with the management applications of the flight schedule of client companies. This integration allows the Unit to operate in tight flow and to continuously adapt its production to changes in the schedule airlines.
Thus, a temporary increase in the frequency of flights to a destination, or a change of aircraft, necessitates adjustment to the equipment supplied, and AIR is able to respond immediately to this, without intervention or extra cost for the airlines.

In-flight sales computers :

A.I.R. provides crews with handheld sales computers. Equipped with a credit card reader, a silent printer and a touch screen, they are extremely easy to use.

These in-flight sales computers manage :

• ¯all the documentation required by the customs authorities (genuine, intermediate and final stock),
• ¯cashing facilities (credit card, conversion rates, multi-currency transactions, money-off vouchers, etc™),
• ¯information on products sold on board for the flight attendants,
• ¯print-out of customers’ receipts or warranties.

These computers safeguard transactions : there is a considerable reduction in the level of cash discrepancies or rejected payments.

They relieve flight attendants from daunting administrative tasks, allowing them to devote themselves entirely to the service of your customers.

They play a part in projecting an efficient, modern and professional image of your company to its customers.