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Bloomberg
Air France pilots said they’re concerned Paris would lose out to Amsterdam if KLM unit chief Pieter Elbers becomes the first Dutch head of Air France-KLM, throwing up another obstacle in the search for a permanent CEO.
Elbers, 48, has emerged as a serious contender to take the top job at the parent company after the French government, its biggest shareholder, signalled its willingness to hire someone who isn’t French. A longtime KLM executive, Elbers has led the smaller, more profitable Dutch arm since 2014.
By many measures, Elbers is a solid candidate. He’s even earned praise from Willie Walsh, head of British Airways IAG SA, who called his Dutch rival one of the best leaders in the industry. Air France-KLM has been run by a Frenchman since the companies combined, the pay is far below peers, and investors vetoed the last frontrunner. Union troubles drove the last two CEOs from their jobs.
“It would be a big issue†if Elbers were chosen, Philippe Evain, head of Air France’s main pilots union, said. He said flights were shifted to Amsterdam from Paris after the companies merged in 2004 to take advantage of lower airport fees and taxes in the Netherlands.
The new boss will have to tackle a bitter labour dispute at Air France.