Paris, May 26th 2020
The world is experiencing an unprecedented health crisis. The global fight against COVID-19 is underway, and our economies and societies are reeling. This is an unprecedented chapter in the history of the Air France-KLM Group, as well as for the airline industry as a whole.
Our Group is committed to tackling this crisis and demonstrating that we have all the assets to overcome it, as we have done time and time again throughout our history. I am convinced that this crisis is a catalyst for accelerating the transformation of civil aviation and accelerating our long-standing commitment to environmental transition, seeking the alignment of ecological and economic balances.
Important as ever is the Group’s mission to bring people and cargo all over the world and to take care of its customers. Whether at Air France, KLM, Transavia, Hop! or KLM City Hopper, on board our aircraft, at the airports, in our maintenance hangars, on the runways, or in our sales departments around the world, our employees have shown exceptional commitment and dedication since the beginning of this crisis. They have worked tirelessly to transport medical equipment and to repatriate more than 500,000 of our fellow French, Dutch and European compatriots. It is also in these moments that we see the true strength of the Air France-KLM Group, acting responsibly, citizen and with agility to continue adding value for our people, our customers, and our communities.
In this context, we at the Air France KLM Group report on our sustainability achievements and developments of 2019, a year with an important acceleration towards our environmental goals: we set targets to reduce our carbon intensity in 2030 by -50% CO2 emissions per passenger/km compared to 2005 levels. Concrete actions were taken, primarily through fleet renewal plans, with the order for 38 Airbus A350s and 60 Airbus A220s for Air France, which are quieter and less kerosene consuming aircraft.
The COVID-19 crisis advanced the retirement of the less suited aircraft to our environmental roadmap: the most polluting aircraft, Airbus A380s and Airbus A340s at Air France and Boeing 747s at KLM.
These developments have a positive impact on our environmental footprint. Air France made also the commitment to offset all domestic flights and KLM announced their participation in the first European plant for Sustainable Aviation Fuel.
Having been committed to sustainable transformation for many years, we again ranked first on the Dow Jones Sustainability Index in 2019, positioning us as the industry leader in terms of sustainability and overall corporate social responsibility.
The world post-crisis will no longer be the same. The fundamentals of our strategy including our commitment to sustainability remain and will accelerate. We have been a member of the United Nations Global Compact since 2003, of which we support its commitments and principles, and we aim to
make a significant contribution to the UN Sustainable Development Goals in connection with our activities. In a sector that is likely to undergo profound changes, it is essential to cooperate and be connected to work on a responsible recovery. As a platform and a strategic infrastructure for our countries, Air France-KLM was constantly present during the crisis and will continue during the recovery.
Recognized for 15 years as the leader in the energy transformation of the sector and with the commitment of our 83,000 employees, the Air France-
KLM Group is determined to accelerate its commitment to the environmental transition for the benefit of its employees, its customers, its shareholders, of all its partners.
Benjamin Smith,
Chief Executive Officer, Air France-KLM.
