Finance
French unions angry over Air France-KLM’s new CEO from Air Canada
Benjamin Smith, Air
France-KLM incoming CEO.
REUTERS/Clodagh Kilcoyne
-
Air France-KLM‘s board of
directors has appointed Benjamin Smith as its new CEO. -
Prior to his appointment to the top job at Air
France-KLM, Smith served as the President and COO of Air
Canada. -
Major French trade union issued a joint statement
condemning the appointment.
The major trade unions representing Air France KLM staff issued a
joint statement on Thursday to protest the appointment of Air
Canada President and COO Benjamin Smith as Air France-KLM’s new
chief executive.
“Concerning the choice of new chief executive…the trade unions
would like to state that it’s inconceivable that the company Air
France – which has been French since 1933 – would fall into the
hands of a foreign director,” the unions said in the statement.
Air France-KLM’s board met on Aug. 16 to approve Smith’s
nomination as the company’s next CEO.
“The arrival of Benjamin Smith is excellent news for the
Group,” Air France-KLM non-executive chairman Anne-Marie
Couderc said in a statement. “Benjamin is a world-renowned leader
in the airline sector who successfully transformed Air
Canada.”
An
Air France Airbus A380.
Flickr/Maarten
Visser
Smith’s appointment fills a major management void after former
CEO Jean-Marc Janaillac quit in May when staff rejected his offer
of a pay deal aimed at ending a wave of strikes that have so far
cost the company 335 million euros ($381 million).
Known to speak French, Smith has a track record in dealing with
unions and was the main negotiator in talks with pilot and cabin
crew staff at Air Canada that resulted in a 10-year agreement in
2015.
The French state has a 14 percent stake in Air France-KLM, while
Delta Airlines and China Eastern Airlines each hold 8.8 percent.
Government officials say President Emmanuel Macron is open to a
non-French national leading the group for the first time.
Smith is expected to take up his new position no later
than September 30.
Zomato’s quick commerce unit Blinkit eclipses core food business in value, says Goldman Sachs
Monsta X’s I.M on making music, gaming, and being called ‘zaddy’
Petlibro’s new smart refrigerated wet food feeder is what your cat deserves
The books on your favorite creators’ TBR shelf
Xaira, an AI drug discovery startup, launches with a massive $1B, says it’s ‘ready’ to start developing drugs
Rabbit R1 hands-on review: Something is iffy about this
UK probes Amazon and Microsoft over AI partnerships with Mistral, Anthropic, and Inflection
‘Shōgun’ co-creators break down the finale: ‘It’s a story about death’
Tesla’s new growth plan is centered around mysterious cheaper models
Tesla’s in trouble. Is Elon Musk the problem?
API startup Noname Security nears $500M deal to sell itself to Akamai
US think tank Heritage Foundation hit by cyberattack
NASA discovered bacteria that wouldn’t die. Now it’s boosting sunscreen.
How to watch ‘Argylle’: When and where is it streaming?
Tesla drops prices, Meta confirms Llama 3 release, and Apple allows emulators in the App Store
Tesla layoffs hit high performers, some departments slashed, sources say
TechCrunch Mobility: Cruise robotaxis return and Ford’s BlueCruise comes under scrutiny
Meta to close Threads in Turkey to comply with injunction prohibiting data-sharing with Instagram
Former top SpaceX exec Tom Ochinero sets up new VC firm, filings reveal
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau fines BloomTech for false claims
Zomato’s quick commerce unit Blinkit eclipses core food business in value, says Goldman Sachs
Monsta X’s I.M on making music, gaming, and being called ‘zaddy’
Petlibro’s new smart refrigerated wet food feeder is what your cat deserves
The books on your favorite creators’ TBR shelf
Xaira, an AI drug discovery startup, launches with a massive $1B, says it’s ‘ready’ to start developing drugs
Rabbit R1 hands-on review: Something is iffy about this
UK probes Amazon and Microsoft over AI partnerships with Mistral, Anthropic, and Inflection
‘Shōgun’ co-creators break down the finale: ‘It’s a story about death’
Tesla’s new growth plan is centered around mysterious cheaper models
Tesla’s in trouble. Is Elon Musk the problem?
-
Business7 days agoLangdock raises $3M with General Catalyst to help businesses avoid vendor lock-in with LLMs
-
Entertainment6 days agoWhat Robert Durst did: Everything to know ahead of ‘The Jinx: Part 2’
-
Entertainment6 days agoThis nova is on the verge of exploding. You could see it any day now.
-
Business6 days agoIndia’s election overshadowed by the rise of online misinformation
-
Business5 days agoThis camera trades pictures for AI poetry
-
Business6 days agoCesiumAstro claims former exec spilled trade secrets to upstart competitor AnySignal
-
Business4 days agoTikTok Shop expands its secondhand luxury fashion offering to the UK
-
Business5 days agoBoston Dynamics unveils a new robot, controversy over MKBHD, and layoffs at Tesla
