L'Air Misérable
Bloomberg Businessweek|August 27, 2018

Strikes and bargain fares are jeopardizing the carrier that brought us supersonic flights and uniforms by Dior. Can a new Canadian CEO put Air France back on course?

Matthew Campbell And Ania Nussbaum
L'Air Misérable

Air France-KLM’s offices in central Paris might reside in the finest piece of airline-controlled real estate in the world. They’re housed in an elegant limestone pile on the riverfront Esplanade des Invalides, all sharp cornices and generous arched windows. Immediate neighbors include France’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Palais Bourbon, which hosts the National Assembly. The airline moved most of its operations next to Charles de Gaulle Airport long before its 2004 merger with its Dutch counterpart KLM, but it has hung on to the Invalides pavilion for special events—such as the gathering Air France-KLM’s then-chief executive officer, Jean-Marc Janaillac, called for one Friday evening in May.

A couple of weeks earlier, he’d tried to resolve a stalemate over pay with Air France unions by proposing an employee referendum. To focus minds on the plebiscite, Janaillac, a former public-transit executive who’d become CEO in 2016, made a confident, even reckless, promise: If his plan, which provided for a modest raise while preserving enough cash to buy new planes, failed to win majority support from the rank and file, he would resign. The morning before his planned appearance, Le Parisien reported that he was headed for a comfortable victory.

This story is from the August 27, 2018 edition of Bloomberg Businessweek.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the August 27, 2018 edition of Bloomberg Businessweek.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM BLOOMBERG BUSINESSWEEKView All
Instagram's Founders Say It's Time for a New Social App
Bloomberg Businessweek US

Instagram's Founders Say It's Time for a New Social App

The rise of AI and the fall of Twitter could create opportunities for upstarts

time-read
4 mins  |
March 13, 2023
Running in Circles
Bloomberg Businessweek US

Running in Circles

A subscription running shoe program aims to fight footwear waste

time-read
3 mins  |
March 20 - 27, 2023
What I Learned Working at a Hawaiien Mega-Resort
Bloomberg Businessweek US

What I Learned Working at a Hawaiien Mega-Resort

Nine wild secrets from the staff at Turtle Bay, who have to manage everyone from haughty honeymooners to go-go-dancing golfers.

time-read
10 mins  |
March 20 - 27, 2023
How Noma Will Blossom In Kyoto
Bloomberg Businessweek US

How Noma Will Blossom In Kyoto

The best restaurant in the world just began its second pop-up in Japan. Here's what's cooking

time-read
3 mins  |
March 20 - 27, 2023
The Last-Mover Problem
Bloomberg Businessweek US

The Last-Mover Problem

A startup called Sennder is trying to bring an extremely tech-resistant industry into the age of apps

time-read
10+ mins  |
March 20 - 27, 2023
Tick Tock, TikTok
Bloomberg Businessweek US

Tick Tock, TikTok

The US thinks the Chinese-owned social media app is a major national security risk. TikTok is running out of ways to avoid a ban

time-read
10+ mins  |
March 20 - 27, 2023
Cleaner Clothing Dye, Made From Bacteria
Bloomberg Businessweek US

Cleaner Clothing Dye, Made From Bacteria

A UK company produces colors with less water than conventional methods and no toxic chemicals

time-read
3 mins  |
March 20 - 27, 2023
Pumping Heat in Hamburg
Bloomberg Businessweek US

Pumping Heat in Hamburg

The German port city plans to store hot water underground and bring it up to heat homes in the winter

time-read
3 mins  |
March 20 - 27, 2023
Sustainability: Calamari's Climate Edge
Bloomberg Businessweek US

Sustainability: Calamari's Climate Edge

Squid's ability to flourish in warmer waters makes it fitting for a diet for the changing environment

time-read
4 mins  |
March 20 - 27, 2023
New Money, New Problems
Bloomberg Businessweek US

New Money, New Problems

In Naples, an influx of wealthy is displacing out-of-towners lower-income workers

time-read
4 mins  |
March 20 - 27, 2023