{"id":89962,"date":"2025-10-24T22:21:18","date_gmt":"2025-10-24T16:51:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/?p=89962"},"modified":"2025-10-24T22:21:21","modified_gmt":"2025-10-24T16:51:21","slug":"air-france-klm-group-ceo-benjamin-smith-salary","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/index.php\/2025\/10\/24\/air-france-klm-group-ceo-benjamin-smith-salary\/","title":{"rendered":"Air France-KLM Group CEO Benjamin Smith Salary and Compensation"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

PARIS-<\/strong> The Air France-KLM Group<\/a> is a multinational airline holding company based in the French capital, Paris, and is most notably the owner of the flag carriers of France and the Netherlands, Air France and KLM. The group was founded 20 years ago and is owned by the French and Dutch governments, while French shipping company CMA CGM, China Eastern Airlines, and Delta Air Lines also have stakes in the holding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition to owning AF and KLM<\/a>, the group also has part ownership of other reputed carriers around the world, like Air Mauritius, Kenya Airways, Royal Air Maroc, and Scandinavian Airlines. With over 75,000 employees under its payroll, the group is one of the world’s largest airline holding companies and had a revenue of over \u20ac30 billion (approx. US$35 billion) in 2023.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the head of their vast operations is Benjamin Smith, who serves as the chief executive officer of the group and has been in the role since 2018. He is the first non-French person to hold the position in the group’s young history and has been credited with making them consistently profitable. Here is a look at everything you need to know about who Benjamin Smith is and how much he is compensated for his services.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Photo: By Cagatiocommons – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/w\/index.php?curid=74442403<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Who is Air France-KLM CEO Benjamin Smith?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Benjamin Smith is a Canadian airline executive who was born in the United Kingdom and is a graduate in economics from the University of Western Ontario. He has been in the airline industry for over 30 years, first working as a customer service agent part-time whilst at college for Air Ontario, the now-defunct regional airline in Canada.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After eight years of running his own travel agency, Smith ventured back into the airline industry and joined his homeland’s flag carrier, Air Canada<\/a>, with whom he held positions as the vice president of their network planning department, executive vice president and chief commercial officer, president, and was eventually promoted to the chief operating officer in 2014.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With four years in one of Air Canada’s most leading positions, Smith was hired by Air France-KLM as their CEO in 2018. He has been credited with modernizing the group’s fleets and successfully replacing the Airbus A340s and Boeing 747s, among others, with fuel-efficient and more sustainable airplanes like the Airbus A350s and Boeing 787s, the latter of which are also used by many of the group’s subsidiaries apart from AF and KLM.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He also helped the group navigate through the challenging COVID-19 period and also in quickly repaying loans taken from the Dutch and French governments to help itself stay afloat. Additionally, he hired new CEOs for both of the group’s chief airlines, with all his good work leading to the reward of a five-year extension to his term by the board of directors in 2022.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Besides being the CEO of the Air France-KLM Group, Smith has also been a non-executive vice chair for WestJet, the full-service rival to Air Canada, since 2023.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Photo: Benjamin Smith LinkedIn Profile<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Benjamin Smith’s Salary and Compensation<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Benjamin Smith received a total payout amounting to \u20ac4.2 million (approx. US$4.7 million)<\/strong> for the 2023-24 fiscal period. His basic salary was \u20ac900,000 for the 12 months<\/strong>, while the \u20ac3.3 million <\/strong>was received by him at the discretion of the Air France-KLM Group’s board of directors for the company’s performances as well as his stock holdings with them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The figure remained unchanged for a second straight year, with 2023-24 an uneventful period for the group, particularly with no significant change in their stock prices. Nonetheless, 78% of the overall compensation received by Ben Smith was in variables.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meanwhile, Benjamin Smith’s rival in the European Union, Luis Gallego, who is the CEO of the International Airlines Group that runs Aer Lingus, British Airways, and Iberia, was paid \u20ac5.3 million (approx. US$6 million)<\/strong> for a similar period. Considering BA’s network around the world and IB’s connectivity with Latin America, Gallego’s surplus payout compared to Smith’s is not a surprise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Photo: Benjamin Smith LinkedIn Profile<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Air France-KLM Group’s plans for 2025<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Air France-KLM Group plans to grow capacity by 4-5% in 2025. They are looking to do so by continuing to modernize their fleet of airplanes by adding new types of aircraft to their fleet, alongside continuing to upgrade their onboard product.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

KLM recently completed the fit of all Boeing 777s<\/a> and Boeing 787s with premium economy cabins, whereas Air France also unveiled a new La Premiere (first class) seat that will be adorned by its 777-300ERs in the near future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Though expenditures are forecast to increase, the company also anticipates an improvement in its earnings before interest and tax. To keep a tab on their spending, the group continues to explore the viability of sustainable fuels and eco-piloting techniques. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Air France and KLM also plan on increasing their footprint in Saudi Arabia, having signed a Saudi Air Connectivity Program in the recent past. This summer, AF is already set to commence flights to Riyadh, the capital of KSA, from its home base, Paris Charles de Gaulle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finally, there are plans to expand the airline’s portfolio by acquiring a stake in Air Europa, the Spanish airline based out of Madrid and the third biggest operator in the country behind flag carrier Iberia and low-cost service provider Vueling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Photo: By Pierre36217867 – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/w\/index.php?curid=140497195<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Air France-KLM CEO Benjamin Smith FAQs<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Who is the CEO of the Air France-KLM Group?<\/strong>

The CEO is the Air France-KLM Group is Benjamin Smith, a Canadian airline executive with over 30 years of experience in the travel and tourism industry.<\/p> <\/div>

What airlines are under the Air France-KLM Group?<\/strong>

Besides Air France and KLM, the company has stakes in carriers like Air Mauritius, Kenya Airways, and Royal Air Maroc, amongst others.<\/p> <\/div>

How much was Benjamin Smith’s salary in 2023-24?<\/strong>

Benjamin Smith was paid \u20ac4.2 million in 2023-24. \u20ac900,000<\/strong> was part of his basic salary, while the remainder was received by him in variable.<\/p> <\/div> <\/div>\n\n\n\n

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