Air France-KLM’s name to change as SAS joins airline group

The CEO of Air France-KLM has decided that the airline group will be given a new name in the coming months, as the Scandinavian airline SAS is set to join the group. The new name has yet to be decided, but it will not include Air France or KLM.

Air France-KLM to acquire SAS

The airline group Air France-KLM is set to acquire Scandinavian airline SAS, with approval expected later this year. The group also wants to add TAP Portugal at a later date, but faces competition from the German Lufthansa.

With Air France-KLM planning on adding so many new airlines to the group, the CEO Ben Smith has “definitively decided” that the airline group will soon have a new name without Air France or KLM in the title, insiders told De Telegraaf. The plan is to choose a more general name, similar to the International Airlines Group, for example, which is the parent company of British Airways and Iberia.

“It is perfectly logical to hold the discussion about a new name, given that we plan to add new brands to the Air France-KLM Group. After all, the current name only reflects our two historical brands,” said a spokesperson.

Name change for Air France-KLM receives mixed reactions

When Air France and KLM merged in 2004, a possible name for the group put forward was “French European Airlines” before settling on Air France-KLM. While no final decision has been made for the future name, there are rumours that “the Blue Group” is being considered.

There have been mixed reactions over the possibility of a name change, with some senior management calling it a “drastic step”. According to De Telegraaf, a different business model could come with the name change. For example, the holding company in Paris could manage the group centrally, and the airlines would become “operating carriers”.

It is important to note that while the airline group’s name could change, Dutch airline KLM will not lose its own name. “It is not illogical to review the name when a third airline is added. However, this is separate from the names of the airlines themselves. The name KLM remains,” said Rogier Verhoef, Chairman of the KLM Works Council.