Air France-KLM is set to change its name, a spokesperson has told press, marking a shift in the aviation skyscape, as the group prepares its majority takeover of Scandinavia’s SAS, with regulatory approval for the move expected by the end of 2026.
Under its current guise, the group has been around for over two decades, bearing the name of its founding members since its creation in 2004, despite talk at the time of the original merger of a new, more neutral moniker, such as French European Airlines.
With consolidation rife in aviation—and accelerating as airlines face rising costs amid the Middle East fuel crisis—SAS is not the only airline that Air France-KLM has its eyes on. The long-awaited privatisation of TAP could also see the group win out over rival Lufthansa to embrace the Portuguese carrier into the fold. With two takeovers in mind then, plus a 19.9% stake in Scandinavia’s SAS already, as well as stakes in several other airlines, including Air Corsica, Kenya Airways and WestJet, a name with international associations would better reflect the group’s makeup.
A spokesperson said, “It is perfectly logical to hold the discussion about a new name, given that we plan to add new brands to the Air France-KLM Group. After all, the current name only reflects our two historical brands.”
The name “the Blue Group” is being mooted, according to people with knowledge of the issue who spoke to De Telegraaf. The colour is already a main element in the image of both Air France, KLM, and SAS.CEO Ben Smith is said to be in favour of a change of identity, though insiders have reported that other members of senior management are not enamoured with any name change or loss of Air France-KLM branding, calling it “a heavy step.”
Some are sceptical about the name change being a precursor to operational changes that would see the group run from Paris, with sub-brands losing autonomy. Annual reporting also shows this has effectively already happened to KLM subsidiary AirTrade, a package operator for KLM and Transavia, now owned and run by the Paris holding. In 2025, KLM’s Adriaan den Heijer was subsumed into the Paris holding group as chief commercial officer, alongside COO Oltion Carkaxhija.
The new “unbranded” name could follow the lead of British Airways and Iberia’s International Airlines Group (IAG) in eliminating associations with dominant carrier energy, though it remains unclear how Portuguese authorities would view any such move, since retention of national interests has been such a key part of acquisition negotiations.
