KLM will ask for compensation for Nato summit disruption

KLM plans to ask for compensation because of the Nato summit in The Hague, which will lead to a cut in airport capacity, chief executive Marjan Rintel told BNR radio on Thursday.

The summit, combined with runway maintenance, means a 20% cut in flights for a short period, Rintel told the radio station.

“That is yet another setback in a year in which you are aiming for better results,” she said. “We are definitely going to talk to the government and we are definitely going to ask for compensation.”

Her comments came as Air France-KLM announced its 2024 results after what the aviation group chief Benjamin Smith described as “a year shaped by both operational and external challenges”.

The joint airline booked a net profit of €489 million last year, half the 2023 record. Sales were up 4.8% at €31.5 billion.

“The good news is that people are continuing to fly,” Rintel said. “Sales are also higher than a year ago. However, it is disappointing that costs have once again risen more than income.”