On 26 February, the Dutch government announced during a press conference that the State had bought 12.68 percent of shares in the holding company Air France-KLM, as they feel that the Dutch interests in the holding should be safeguarded. Floris de Haan, senior researcher Air Transport Economics at Erasmus School of Economics, questions this measure.
The intention is that the Dutch share in the holding should be as large as that of the French State. The news comes after a turbulent period, as recently there has been a lot of dissatisfaction in the Netherlands about the course of Air France-KLM and the position of KLM in the holding.
De Haan strongly wonders about the usefulness of this action by the Dutch state. ‘KLM’s importance to Schiphol is beyond dispute. And so does the importance of Schiphol for the Dutch economy. But with this minority interest in the holding company, the influence of the Dutch state will be limited.’ He finds it positive that there is a balance between the shares of the Dutch and French government. However, this balance could have been achieved in a different, cheaper way. ‘The French state could have decreased their shares. Then you would have achieved the same thing and the Netherlands would not have had to pay the price.’