An illustration showing the aircraft tails of the AF-KLM Group.
Europe

Air France-KLM’s Diverging Fortunes

Europe

Air France-KLM’s Diverging Fortunes

August 2025
18 min read
Gordon Smith and Jay Shabat

Skift Take

Charles de Gaulle once famously asked: “How can you govern a country in which there are 246 kinds of cheese?” Fortunately for Ben Smith, governing Air France-KLM isn’t quite that complicated. But he does now preside over four different airlines, some faring well, others faring poorly, as we discover in this week's feature story.

Issue Overview

Charles de Gaulle once famously asked: “How can you govern a country in which there are 246 kinds of cheese?” Fortunately for Ben Smith, governing Air France-KLM isn’t quite that complicated. But he does now preside over four different airlines, some faring well, others faring poorly, as we discover in this week's feature story.