At Air France-KLM, ‘the noses are back in the same direction’ after a turbulent period. According to Ben Smith of the aviation group, major shareholders are the Dutch and the French state in line with the company when it comes to representing the interests in both countries.
According to him, there is no question of merging brands, because both Air France and KLM are too valuable. Furthermore, the board has taken the necessary steps and the company is in better shape compared to February.
Smith spoke at a conference in Paris. He also reported that conversations about the expansion of the Transavia fleet are progressing. It seems unlikely that the price fighter will fly over long distances. According to the Canadian, the cheap long-distance model has not yet proven to be successful. Air France-KLM is therefore not interested in doing so.
In addition, the aviation concern is worrying about whether and for how long they will keep the A380 aircraft in the fleet. Air France-KLM faces the decision on whether or not to refurbish the seven super jumbo’s from Air France. The cleaning up of the aircraft involves an amount of approximately 40 million euros. The interior of some aircraft is already ten years old.
Maurice Esma, a co-founder of EconomicInform is a freelance journalist with the expertise in international finance and corporate rights. The author can be reached by email maurice.eisma@economicinform.com
