Study: The Air France-KLM Group contributes over €70 billion to the French and Dutch economies every year, supporting more than 820,000 jobs in both countries

On the occasion of its twentieth anniversary, the Air France-KLM Group unveiled the results of an impact study designed to quantify and analyze the socio-economic benefits generated by its activity in France and the Netherlands. Commissioned by Air France-KLM, the study was carried out by Professor Herbert Castéran, Professor and Director of the Institut Mines Télécom Business School. It covers the Group's three core businesses: passenger transport, cargo and aircraft maintenance.

A major economic impact for national economies

The study's findings highlight the major role played by the Air France-KLM Group in the economic dynamics of France – Air France's home country – and the Netherlands – KLM's home country. While in fiscal year 2023, the Air France-KLM Group generated a net income of 0.9 billion euros, its total economic impact is estimated at 48.9 billion euros in France and 21.9 billion euros in the Netherlands (or 723 euros per year per inhabitant in France and 1,228 euros per year per inhabitant in the Netherlands). The study concludes that for every euro invested, the Air France-KLM group generates 3.6 euros in the French economy, and 3.4 euros in the Dutch economy.

These economic benefits take the form of direct investment, direct and indirect job creation, and spending with local suppliers and service providers.

A driving force for employment in France and the Netherlands

In addition to its economic and financial impact, the Air France-KLM Group also contributes significantly to the creation of skilled jobs that cannot be relocated. In 2022 and 2023, respectively, the various entities of the Air France-KLM Group recruited 4,000 and 5,000 permanent staff, namely pilots, flight attendants and mechanics. This dynamic will continue in 2024, particularly for pilots and aircraft maintenance activities. The Group is also particularly active in supporting access to employment for young people, through work-study programs and support for associations that promote inclusion.

The impact study estimated that 552,570 jobs in France and 267,996 jobs in the Netherlands depended on Air France-KLM's activity, equivalent to the population of Lyon in France and Eindhoven in the Netherlands. These numbers include direct jobs (employees working directly for the Air France-KLM Group – around 46,000 in France and 26,000 in the Netherlands); indirect jobs (in related sectors such as suppliers, subcontractors, and service providers); as well as jobs induced by the Group's activity, for example in tourism. These jobs support the local economies of France and the Netherlands.

Furthermore, the study highlights that each direct job created by the Group generates 11 additional jobs in France. In the Netherlands, the impact is also very positive: for every job created by the Group, 9.2 additional jobs are created in the Dutch economy.

In France, shared benefits across all regions

The socio-economic impact study shows that Air France-KLM's activity benefits all French regions, without exception.

By way of example, in addition to strong air transport activity, the Occitanie region benefits from significant direct injections related to Air France-KLM’s purchasing of aircraft and aeronautical spare parts from Airbus, its subcontractors and service providers. Since 2018, Air France-KLM has ordered over 230 aircraft from Airbus, most of which are assembled in the Toulouse region. Air France also has a maintenance site in Toulouse.

In the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté and Grand Est regions, Air France-KLM's contribution can be seen in its support for the wine industry, through purchases of wines, champagnes and spirits served on board Air France. In 2023, over 2.4 million bottles of wine and 1.3 million bottles of champagne were served on board Air France flights. 

The Île-de-France region remains the main beneficiary of the Group's impact. Thanks to the Paris-Charles de Gaulle hub and Paris-Orly airport, as well as the location of Air France’s and Transavia France’s headquarters, the Air France-KLM Group is a natural socio-economic catalyst for the Île-de-France region. Long the region's leading private sector employer, the Group contributes 3.2% of Île-de-France’s total GDP, for a total economic impact of nearly 25 billion euros. Representing 50% of the traffic at Paris-Charles de Gaulle and Paris-Orly airports, the Air France-KLM Group is a driving force behind the region's connectivity and national and international appeal, supporting all links across the local economy, industry, and tourism.

Map of the annual injection per capita and total number of jobs generated in each French region

In the Netherlands, a global hub supporting all sectors of the economy

Note on methodology:

The data in the impact study reflect the assessment of the socio-economic benefits of the Air France-KLM Group’s activity, which distinguishes four types of economic impact:

• Direct impacts, including the remuneration of Air France-KLM Group staff working in their home region, as well as the Group's consumption of goods and services.
• Indirect impacts resulting from the Air France-KLM group's activities, notably spending by passengers traveling on Group aircraft, as well as the economic activity of airports associated with the Group's activities.
• Induced impacts, which are determined by the spending of the beneficiaries of direct and indirect impacts, including public bodies that benefit from tax revenue induced by the Air France-KLM group's activity.
• Catalytic impacts, which represent the attractiveness of a given region for businesses, thanks to the Air France-KLM group's air traffic to the area.