Air France & Delta stops working with KLM ground crews at Schiphol, likely over strikes

Air France and Delta Air Lines will no longer work with KLM’s ground handling services at Schiphol Airport. KLM’s ground crew workers have held three strikes in recent weeks, resulting in hundreds of flights being canceled. KLM told ANP that it has been informed by the airlines that they will be seeking another handling partner for their operations.

According to KLM, this decision will have direct consequences, particularly for its Ground Services. The Dutch airline is currently assessing the impact on KLM’s finances and employment.

Delta Airlines and Air France, a KLM partner and the airline’s French sister company, will now seek other ground handlers to handle their luggage, passenger assistance, and taxiing, among other things.

KLM’s ground crew workers affiliated with the trade unions FNV and CNV have been protesting for a better collective bargaining agreement. They’ve held three strikes in as many weeks and have another coming up on Wednesday. The trade unions want KLM to increase the ground crew’s salaries to at least compensate for inflation, pointing out that pilots and management did get remuneration hikes and that the ground crew deserves to be treated the same.

KLM canceled hundreds of flights due to the strikes. It is unclear how much they impacted Air France and Delta, but they likely played a role in the airlines' decision to work with other ground crews.