KLM CEO pay rises 32% amid cost-cutting measures and job cuts

KLM CEO Marjan Rintel’s pay rose by almost 32 percent last year, at the same time as the airline implemented cost-saving measures to boost profitability.

Rintel received just under 1.6 million euros for her work in 2025, according to KLM’s annual report. A year earlier, her remuneration amounted to just over 1.2 million euros. The pay rise comes as KLM rolls out its “Back on Track” program, aimed at cutting costs and boosting profitability over the long term. The initiative includes job cuts. KLM revealed in January 2025 that 250 positions in non-operational functions would be eliminated. The airline said it would attempt to prevent compulsory layoffs but could not guarantee this.

While the base salary stayed at 600,000 euros, Rintel’s bonuses grew significantly. Her long-term bonus is tied to “phantom shares,” which mirror the performance of real stock, and rose as Air France-KLM’s market value increased. Meanwhile, her short-term bonus climbed by 30 percent.

In 2025, KLM posted an operating profit of roughly 416 million euros on revenue of about 13.2 billion euros. Despite a modest increase in revenue, profits barely improved, highlighting ongoing high costs. This resulted in a margin of just over 3 percent, well below the company’s target of around 8 percent.

The rise in bonuses sparked criticism from the FNV union, citing widening gaps between executives and employees. Finance Minister Eelco Heinen described the payouts as “highly inappropriate,” considering the demands placed on KLM staff.

In February 2026, CEO Marjan Rintel was given a second four-year term to steer KLM’s restructuring efforts. However, fleet challenges and staff shortages keep putting pressure on profitability.