Does the president of France use the national airline (Air France) for
his international trips, or a special government airplane? Specific
examples needed.

Hello geneeismnan:

Thanks for the interesting question. 

The president of France (Jacques Chirac at present) does not use the
national airline - but has his own official plane(s) for international
flights.


Sources: 

Now You See Him... 
URL: http://www.climatenetwork.org/eco/cops/cop6/8.1100.chirac.html
Quote: "And all could have been perfect yesterday... NGOs might have
immediately appointed him their commander-in-chief... but
unfortunately Chirac couldn't find the time to meet them. Instead, he
saw plenty of officials, and journalists, ate plenty of herrings...
proposed and received toasts... and then flew away in his special
plane., back to his dull ordinary life, after one day's dream of being
an ecologist. Bye bye, Jacques..."

How about a presidential plane?
URL: http://www.cyprus-mail.com/2002/January/19/news4.htm
Quote: "The Cypriot solution to the government's travelling needs
would therefore be similar to that in France, where President Jacques
Chirac and his ministers fly in small-sized jets manufactured by
Dassault and owned by the French government."

Mourning In Paris
URL: http://www.metropoleparis.com/2001/638/638bistr.html
Quote: "French Return On Presidential Jet - 73 French citizens,
stranded in various sorts of difficulty in New York, were flown to
Paris Sunday morning on the Airbus 310 assigned to the Président of
France, Jacques Chirac."

Beware Conservatives!
URL: http://www.crispian.demon.co.uk/McDNLArch4b.htm
Quote: "In Paris, the conservative Jacques Chirac barely controls more
than the Elysée palace and his Presidential jet."


I hope this information helps with your research.            
            
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Search Strategy (on Google):             

"jacques chirac" "special plane"
chirac "presidential jet"

A most useful response. I am researching a book on the history of the
U.S.
President's Air Force One transport and needed information on how
other chiefs of state travel by air. Thanks!

The president, cabinet ministers and a few more people are granted the
privilege to use state's planes. Those planes were known as the GLAM
planes (Groupement des liaisons aériennes ministérielles). GLAM ended
its service in 1995 when the newly elected President Chirac decided
that Gov VIP should rather use cheaper ways to travel at taxpayer
expenses.
In fact all the GLAM planes were transferred to a new Air Force unit
called ETEC (escadron de transport, d'entraînement et de calibration)
which continues GLAM assignments
ETEC is located in Villacoublay (78-Yvelines). 

Sorry for the delay but had difficulties remembering the GLAM acronym.

source : http://www.chez.com/constit/Chirac-Jospin.html

Try the following search to get the British perspective on Prime
Ministerial travel:

://www.google.co.uk/search?num=100&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&safe=off&q=blair+force+one&meta=