Ministers Van Nieuwenhuizen (Infrastructure) and Hoekstra (Finance) spoke with the top of Air France-KLM in Paris about the support to KLM and the conditions under which it can take place. According to a Finance Ministry spokesman, the conversation was “constructive”. The aim is to further conclude the talks shortly.
Air France-KLM is in financial trouble now that the corona crisis has barely been flown for months. The first quarter saw a loss of EUR 1.8 billion.
The cabinet wants to support the Dutch branch KLM for two to four billion euros. France has pledged seven billion euros for the French part.
Requirements
The cabinet previously announced that there are strict conditions for the billion-dollar support: for example, the company must be greener, the staff must also make a wage sacrifice and no bonuses may be paid during the support.
Ultimately, the top of the parent company Air France-KLM has to decide whether the company wants to meet those conditions.
Earlier, Minister Hoekstra and the top of the French-Dutch company clashed over the bonus for CEO Ben Smith. The finance minister was against this bonus, but an 81 percent majority of shareholders voted in favor.
The final support package is expected to be presented later this month.
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