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New budget airline is to begin low-cost flights to Paris from New York City at the end of this month

Paris, Dec. 9, 2006 (UNI) Despite low fares, the start-up carrier L'Avion is determined not to cut the frills, with complementary French meals and wine on offer, according to the Reuters news agency.

Catering for cost-sensitive "Paryorkers" – the carrier's hybrid slogan for the route – six return flights per week will connect Newark Liberty International Airport and Paris' Orly Airport from December 27.

Boeing 757-200s will accommodate 90 Business-Class passengers, in planes with a capacity of 200. Round-trip tickets start at $2,118.

Originally branded Elysair, the Franco-Dutch operator changed its name to the French word for airplane after conducting a poll on both sides of the Atlantic.

"We chose the name for its 'French touch'," Marc Rochet, Chief Executive of L'Avion's operating company, told Reuters. "We will have French cuisine and wine too."

L'Avion will become the latest airline to provide premium transatlantic links at competitive rates. UK-based carrier Silverjet will transport business travelers between New York and London for discounted fares from January 25, 2007.

And the two start-up airlines fit the mold of Business-Class-only airlines MAXjet Airways and Eos, which offer personalized luxury services on links to key European commercial centers, undercutting traditional rivals with reduced prices.