La Compagnie

Most airlines you see flying across the Atlantic have huge long-haul jets and hundreds of seats. La Compagnie does the opposite: a slim Airbus A321neo, just 76 seats, all business class. For spotters it is one of Europe’s most curious airlines – small, specialized and with just two aircraft. Here you’ll learn where the airline comes from, where to see it and how to recognize its aircraft.

La Compagnie at a glance

La Compagnie is a French boutique airline that sells business class only. Behind the brand is Dreamjet SAS, based in Bagneux, south of Paris. The company was founded in October 2013 by Frantz Yvelin, with former Swissair chief Peter Luethi on board. The idea: offer business class on the Paris–New York route at prices well below those of the big network airlines.

The first scheduled flight took off on July 21, 2014 from Paris to New York Newark – with a Boeing 757-200 fitted exclusively with business class seats. In April 2015 a second route was added: London Luton–Newark. It did not last long, though. In September 2016, La Compagnie ended the London flights, citing the consequences of the Brexit vote, and doubled the frequency between Paris and New York instead.

In 2018 the airline moved its Paris operation from Charles de Gaulle to Paris Orly. 2019 brought the biggest change: the two 757s were replaced by two Airbus A321neos. Since then La Compagnie has been a pure Airbus airline. By its own account, it was the first airline in France to operate this generation of the A321.

Like almost all airlines, La Compagnie was hit hard by the COVID pandemic. It suspended flight operations in March 2020 and only resumed regular service in June 2021. After that the network grew: Milan Malpensa was added in April 2022 to Paris and Nice, which had been served seasonally since 2019. For its tenth anniversary in 2024, the airline reported around 9,000 flights and 480,000 passengers since its launch.

Codes and callsign

• IATA code B0: appears in the flight number, on tickets and on the departure board. Note that the second character is the digit zero, not the letter O.
• ICAO code DJT: appears on flight trackers and in the air traffic control flight plan. It is derived from the operator’s name Dreamjet.
• Callsign DREAMJET: this is how the crew identifies on the radio.

The ICAO code in particular is handy for spotters. Because the brand name “La Compagnie” sounds very generic – in French it simply means “the company” – the quickest way to find the flights on the tracker is via DJT. With only two aircraft, that gives you the entire fleet at a glance.

The concept: business class only

An airline without economy is not a new idea. In the 2000s, several companies tried to make money with premium flights across the Atlantic on narrowbody jets. One example is the former British Airways subsidiary OpenSkies, which flew between Paris and New York from 2008 to 2018. Many of these projects disappeared again after a few years. La Compagnie is one of the few that have lasted – according to reports, the airline made its first profit in 2022.

The business model rests on three pillars:

1. A narrowbody jet instead of a widebody: an A321neo is much cheaper to operate than a widebody. With few but high-quality seats, you can still generate enough revenue per flight.
2. Few, well-booked routes: instead of a large network, La Compagnie concentrates on New York and a handful of European destinations with many business and leisure travelers.
3. Business class at a comparatively low price: the airline deliberately positions itself against the business fares of the big network airlines such as Air France.

According to the airline, all 76 seats are installed in a 2-2 layout and convert to flat beds 192 centimeters long. Every seat has its own screen, and Wi-Fi is free. At the airports, La Compagnie uses partner lounges, such as in Orly Terminal 4 and Newark Terminal B.

The fleet: two A321neos

The fleet is so small that you can almost describe it with a single table:

Type	Count	Seats	In service	Spotter tip
Airbus A321neo	2	76, all business class	since June and September 2019	Only type in the current fleet
Airbus A321neo (long-range version)	on order	all-business-class cabin	announced	Order announced in July 2024
Boeing 757-200	2 (historic)	business class only	2014 to 2019	Retired at the end of October 2019

La Compagnie ordered the two A321neos in September 2017. The first aircraft entered scheduled service in June 2019, and the second followed in September 2019. By the end of October 2019 the airline had retired both Boeing 757-200s. If you still have photos of a La Compagnie 757 in your archive, you own a piece of closed airline history.

In 2025, by its own account, La Compagnie increased the range of one of its A321neos by about 700 kilometers. For the announced Düsseldorf route, the airline names an A321neo in the LR long-range version. How exactly the new aircraft is configured and when it enters service is something to check with the operator at the time you plan – such dates like to shift in aviation. The even longer-range A321XLR is now in service with other airlines and shows where narrowbody long-haul is heading. The manufacturer of the current fleet is Airbus.

How to recognize La Compagnie

Because the airline flies only one type, identification is easier than with large companies. A few points still help you be sure:

Another clue is the schedule. An A321neo arriving in the morning at Orly from Newark is unusual – most narrowbody jets at European airports fly within Europe. If you see an A321neo with an origin in New York in the morning at Orly, you very likely have La Compagnie in your lens. Which time windows are typical for transatlantic arrivals is explained in the article on arrival times of long-haul flights in Europe.

Routes and airports

La Compagnie’s network is arranged in a star around New York. All flights connect New York Newark with a European destination. As of October 2026, the offering according to the airline looks like this:

Route	Frequency according to airline	Since	Note
Newark – Paris Orly	daily	2014 (Orly since 2018)	The airline’s core route
Newark – Milan Malpensa	several times a week	2022	Newest established destination
Newark – Nice	seasonal	2019	Mainly in the summer half-year
Newark – Düsseldorf	up to 5 times a week	announced from April 2027	First destination in Germany

Former destinations were London Luton (2015 to 2016) and Paris Charles de Gaulle (until 2018). Between December 2021 and March 2022, La Compagnie also flew on behalf of Gabon’s Afrijet between Paris Orly and Libreville, and there were also seasonal charter flights to the Caribbean, such as to Sint Maarten.

For you as a spotter, the European airports are the places to go:

• Paris Orly: the airline’s base and the place with the most movements. What to keep in mind when photographing at French airports is covered in the article Photographing at French airports.
• Milan Malpensa: it’s worth combining this with a visit to Volandia.
• Nice: seasonal destination with a spectacular approach over the Mediterranean.
• Newark: the American anchor where every rotation begins or ends.

Spotting La Compagnie in Germany

Until spring 2027 you have to go abroad for a sighting. In September 2026, La Compagnie announced a new nonstop connection between New York Newark and Düsseldorf, with up to five flights a week from April 2027. According to the airline, an A321neo in the long-range version will be used.

For spotters in the Rhineland, that is exciting: an all-business-class narrowbody jet from New York is something special at Düsseldorf Airport. A good starting point is the observation deck at Düsseldorf Airport, and you’ll find more tips in the guide Plane spotting in Düsseldorf. Since schedules of new routes can still change before launch, check the current times shortly before your visit.

La Compagnie in the French airline market

France has a diverse airline landscape. Besides the large Air France, companies such as Corsair and French bee fly long-haul – both with widebodies and several cabin classes. La Compagnie occupies a niche of its own: few seats, business only, one narrowbody jet.

One episode of the company’s history leads to a historic airline. At the end of 2016, the holding company Dreamjet Participations agreed to take over the parent company of XL Airways France, completing the move in 2018. XL Airways ceased operations in 2019, while La Compagnie kept flying.

The airline also draws attention off the schedule: in February 2026 it was named the official airline of the French national football team around the 2026 World Cup. Whether that leaves visible traces on the aircraft is open – if you collect special liveries, you should keep an eye on the two A321neos anyway. You can read more about such subjects in the article on soccer and sports special liveries.

Common mix-ups

• Confusing B0 with BO – the IATA code consists of the letter B and the digit zero.
• Confusing La Compagnie with OpenSkies – both flew business-class-heavy between Paris and New York, but OpenSkies has been history since 2018.
• Taking the A321neo for a Europe flight – at La Compagnie it always flies across the Atlantic in scheduled service.
• Looking at Charles de Gaulle – since 2018 Orly has been the Paris base.
• Taking the 757 for the current fleet – the two Boeing 757-200s were retired in 2019.
• Taking every transatlantic A321neo for La Compagnie – other airlines now also fly the type across the Atlantic. Registration and ICAO code decide.

Conclusion

La Compagnie is proof that even a very small airline can survive on the transatlantic route. Two Airbus A321neos, 76 seats, business class only – that makes the company a rare and rewarding subject. Paris Orly gives you the best chances, Milan and Nice are the alternatives, and from 2027 Düsseldorf adds a destination in Germany. If you plan via the code DJT, you won’t miss either of the two aircraft.