Mr Gagey made the comments during a conference call to report the holding company's first quarter results.

"On short haul, today, we have a fleet of A320s and B737s. These fleet are not yet to be phased out. Clearly, we have to think about what can be the options for the renewal in the long term of the short-haul fleet. 

And our plan is to open some discussions with the two manufacturers by probably the end or the middle of 2019," he said, according to a Seeking Alpha transcript of the call.

Gagey also noted that he was waiting to know what future plans Boeing (BOE, Chicago O'Hare) and Airbus (AIB, Toulouse Blagnac) had for their single-aisle aircraft.

"We have not yet, I think, the clear picture of what will be the short-haul offer by the industry for the year between 2025 and 2030 or 2035. And, clearly, when you look at the fleet plan replacement, it will be something quite long," he said.