KLM CEO Still Sees Slow Recovery Even as More Flights Resume
Brian Sumers
June 30th, 2020 at 5:15 AM EDT
Skift Take
KLM has a powerful brand and should be able to withstand this crisis. But it is not a good time for legacy European airlines that usually rely on lucrative corporate travelers.
Share
Dutch airline KLM is seeing modest recovery on short-haul routes, but the long-haul business remains "challenging" and the carrier does not expect full recovery until at least "2023-ish," the carrier's CEO said during a session for Skift Forum Europe on Tuesday.
"There is still a lot of uncertainty for consumers," KLM's Pieter Elbers told Skift Airline Weekly Editor Madhu Unnikrishnan.
KLM is one of many European carriers struggling to survive after Covid-19 decimated its business. The good news is the Dutch government recently came to its aid, with about 3.4 billion euros (about $3.8 billion) in loans and loan guarantees. That should be enough to ensure the airline, which has one of th
Get unlimited access with Skift Pro.
Subscribe now for complete access to Skift.com's trusted coverage of the travel industry.