Air France Pilots Bristle at Prospect of a Having a Dutch CEO
- Cockpit crews raise concerns flights will shift to Amsterdam
- KLM chief Pieter Elbers a serious contender for group CEO job
Pieter Elbers
Photographer: Christophe Morin/Bloomberg
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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, signaled its willingness to hire someone who isn’t French. A longtime KLM executive, Elbers has led the smaller, more profitable Dutch arm since 2014.