ITTN Interview: Jerome Salemi, General Manager Air France-KLM UK & Ireland
ITTN Editor-in-Chief, Geoff Percival caught up with Jerome Salemi – General Manager Air France-KLM UK & Ireland – in Dublin, last week, to talk all things KLM.
This included KLM’s performance in Ireland – via both its KLM and KLM Cityhopper operations – the airline’s fleet modernisation programme and it’s growing position as a leader in European aviation’s transition to sustainable practices.
On Ireland, the clear messages are: KLM is pleased with its operations here, has seen very positive growth in Cork, and wants to further develop in the country.
How are KLM/KLM Cityhopper’s Irish routes – from Dublin and Cork – performing? Is the airline happy with its operations here and is Ireland a prime market for regional carriers like Cityhopper?
"We are very pleased with the performance of our operations in Ireland. Our presence here extends well beyond a single route. KLM operates up to five daily services from Dublin and up to three daily services from Cork.
"The strength of our offering relies on a combination of factors:
a medium haul fleet that can adapt to the demand from KLM Cityhopper regional aircraft (Embraer) to KLM ‘s B737 and A321neo
an extensive network with point-to-point services to Amsterdam as well as connections to over 160 destinations in Europe and across the world
a choice of cabins to suit different customer needs
a mixed customer base travelling for business, leisure or visit friends and relatives"
Is there room for any potential expansion in Ireland – frequency increases/new routes from other airports?
Are you interested in potential new openings in Ireland – such as Waterford Airport opening in the coming years?
"We continue looking at a range of opportunities in the Irish market, whether that is through additional frequencies, larger aircraft or potentially new regional opportunities. Cork is a good example: KLM launched the route with a daily service in 2020 and gradually increased to the three daily flights we have today.
"We are in dialogue with a number of airports, but there are no decisions to announce at this stage. Any future development will ultimately depend on customer demand, aircraft availability and the wider needs of the Air France-KLM network. But where we see the right opportunity, Ireland is certainly a market we are keen to continue developing."
Is Cork a good performing destination for you – has it brought more Dutch people to Ireland or is it reliant on city break/business travel from Cork? Or is Dublin likely to be the main/only Rep of Ire destination for you going forward?
"Cork has developed very positively for KLM and has become an integral part of our Irish network.
"As mentioned above, since launching the route we have progressively increased capacity and frequency in response to demand, which is a strong indication of how the market has developed. What is particularly encouraging is that the route is not solely reliant on local traffic. We see quite a healthy balance of traffic from Point-of-Sale Ireland and from the rest of the world.
On sustainable travel; tell us about The Aviation Challenge and KLM’s role in it and the importance of the Dublin/Amsterdam route within that.
Also, with price and availability big hurdles to SAF growth, how difficult will it be for global airlines to fully transition to net zero by 2050 or thereabouts?
"It will be challenging to fully transition to net zero by 2050, but not impossible. Sufficient availability and affordable pricing are two key priorities of our SAF strategy, on the short- and long-term. However, SAF will not be the only contributor to the industry’s 2050 ambition. New technologies, such as battery-electric aircraft and eSAF will also play an important role. That’s why KLM is working on all different levers to decarbonize its operations.
"The Aviation Challenge is important in this context because the transition cannot be achieved by airlines, fuel producers and governments alone. Passengers also have a role to play. By explaining what alternative aviation fuel is, why it matters and how passengers can support its use, KLM aims to increase awareness and engagement. TAC allows us to test in a real-life setting how we can best involve passengers and crew, and to share the resulting insights across the industry.
KLM is in a good place - net zero-wise - with the EU recently green-lighting a €300m State Aid package for SAF production in the Netherlands and KLM/SkyNRG beginning their first SAF production plant. But, is this the minimum level of foundation needed for airlines to have a chance of transitioning to net zero. What chance do airlines without local production plants have?
"We are glad that the construction of SkyNRG’s SAF plant in Delfzijl has started, KLM’s long-term offtake guarantee directly contributes to the financing and realization of this facility.
"The start of construction highlights the importance of continued investment and policy support to accelerate SAF production capacity across Europe, but should be marked as a start. SkyNRG and KLM call for ongoing collaboration between governments, industry partners, fuel producers, and airlines to scale SAF availability and support the aviation sector’s long-term decarbonisation ambitions.
"Supportive EU and Dutch policy to stimulate SAF production and consumption is required to scale SAF use throughout the Netherlands and Europe. Airlines operating in countries without local production plants have to rely on availability on the global SAF market.
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