Air France Plans To Make About One-Third Of Its 2,900 Job Cuts In 2016, CEO Alexandre De Juniac Says

The Air France logo is seen on the unit’s headquarters building at the Charles de Gaulle International Airport in Roissy, outside Paris, on the second week of a strike by Air France pilots Sept. 22, 2014. Reuters/Jacky Naegelen

PARIS (Reuters) -- Air France will cut less than a thousand jobs next year, under one-third of the 2,900 job losses in a plan for 2016-2017 that triggered clashes with some staff this month, the CEO of parent company Air France-KLM SA said Sunday.

The job cuts in 2016 will be voluntary redundancies, and job losses in 2017 can be avoided, assuming ongoing talks with unions lead to an agreement on alternative savings measures by the beginning of next year, Alexandre de Juniac said in a broadcast interview.

(Reporting by Gus Trompiz and Sophie Louet; Editing by Mark Potter)