KLM wants EU measures to combat 'unfair' competition from China

KLM CEO Marjan Rintel wants Brussels to come up with financial measures to allow European airlines to compete better with Chinese industry peers. She believes that they do not have to fly around Russia and compete unfairly with European airlines.

"Russia's airspace is closed to European airlines, and Chinese carriers fly over it. That sometimes saves you 2 to 4 hours. You see that reflected in the price, and of course, the costs are higher for us," she says on the TV program WNL op Zondag.

According to her, Brussels should do something about this. "Europe can at least look at how we can prevent this unfair playing field by pricing it or looking at it differently." She emphasizes that the costs for KLM, which celebrates its 105th anniversary on Monday, have increased for fuel, for example.

Due to the rising costs, KLM is coming up with a major austerity plan to increase profits by 450 million euros per year. "In the Netherlands, we are dealing with a tight labor market and rising wage costs. That is different than in France," she refers to the well-performing Air France, the airline that merged with KLM in 2004.

Rintel also discussed the cost-saving plans KLM announced this week. The airline is considering adjusting the catering offer during flights to increase revenues by 100 million euros annually. However, it is not yet certain whether passengers on European flights will no longer receive a free snack or drink on board. "Our customers are not very happy with that sandwich and are saying: give me some choice and preferably for a fee," she said on Sunday.

She also discussed measures to work more efficiently to reduce staff shortages among pilots and technicians. According to her, this does not necessarily mean working harder. "There are many measures you can think of. We will discuss them with the unions and hope to increase capacity as soon as possible. Then you will also earn more money, and you can also cover your costs."