KLM CEO Marjan Rintel has criticised “unfair” competition from Chinese airlines, which benefit from access to Russian airspace, allowing them to reduce costs and offer lower fares compared to European carriers facing closures due to the war in Ukraine.
Speaking at Routes 2024 in Bahrain, Rintel called on the European Commission to address the competitive imbalance and support European airlines, echoing similar concerns raised by rival Lufthansa regarding the need for a level playing field.
Amid rising operational costs, KLM announced a restructuring plan targeting a EUR450m short-term improvement and a structural profit margin above 8pc by 2026-2028, which may include measures like boosting labour productivity and outsourcing maintenance.
Rintel assured that while passengers on European flights will now pay for food and drinks, the changes are driven by customer choice and will not transform KLM into a budget airline, emphasizing that current staff workloads would not immediately increase.
