Finance minister says KLM boss pay boost is “inappropriate”

Finance minister Eelco Heinen is to protest about KLM’s plans to give increased bonuses to the management team, saying it is inappropriate at the present time.

The Dutch state has a 5.9% stake in KLM and a 9.1% stake in its parent company Air France-KLM and he will raise the issue at the next shareholders’ meeting, Heinen said.

KLM’s annual report, published last week, shows that chief executive Marjan Rintel earned 30% more in 2025 than in 2024. Her basic salary was €600,000, but her total remuneration package, including shares, was almost €1.6 million.

Heinen said the extra bonus was inappropriate given the challenges facing the company. “If you are asking your staff to make a sacrifice, you should do so yourself,” he said. “Senior management are sending out the wrong signal.”

KLM had a good financial year in 2025, on paper at least, but was beset by personnel problems. In particular, ground crew went on strike over the company’s plan to freeze pay.

The AGM is scheduled for April 21.

In January, Rintel was given a second four-year period to turn the airline around. Rintel said at the time she would take steps to simplify the organisation, improve operations, boost revenues and cut costs, adding that she would take more direct control of day-to-day operations alongside the management team.

The shake-up comes in the wake of a disastrous first month of 2026, in which KLM services were disrupted by wintry weather and management faced criticism of the way they had handled the cancellations and delays which affected thousands of passengers.