Air France-KLM's future threatened by mutual distrust: Report

Managers of KLM and Air France are deeply suspicious of each other, according to a confidential report drawn up on behalf of French and Dutch unions. At both airlines the managers feel that their colleagues at the other airline are out for only their interests. "The surveyed managers even doubt whether Air France-KLM will be able to survive", Reinier Castelein, president of trade union De Unie, said to EenVandaag on Tuesday.

For the study, the results of which are in the possession of EenVandaag, 50 managers at each airline were questioned.

Air France managers feel that they look more at what is best for the whole, while KLM managers only worry about what is good for KLM. They also accuse KLM managers thinking that they are more professional and "super cool".

KLM managers, on the other hand, think that their French colleagues only worry about keeping jobs at Air France. The Dutch managers also don't trust the French economy, and therefore see Air France as a "time bomb".

According to managers on both sides, they work in a culture of fear. "We are forbidden to discuss the future openly", one of the anonymous managers said in the report. This manager thinks that managers should pay more attention to the staff. "When do these people get the opportunity to present their vision without the risk of being fired?"