Buzzboy your animosity towards KLM is something that I have gotten used to. The discussion surrounding Buzz/KLM UK died down after the dust settled. And I am still not sure what the outcome has been exactly at the individual level. From what I understand no one lost his or her job. A number of people are now flying in the new KLM Cityhopper group and some have chosen to continue with KLM mainline. The Buzz pilots are now with Ryanair (not sure what will happen to the Bae 146 crews) but it sounds like Ryanair will be growing enough for them to transfer to the 737. Earlier this year it had become clear that KLM did not have the finances to expand the Buzz brand, and a retrenchment of the business was in order. The arrogant Dutch have done things in a more equitable manner than BA has done with its regional pilots. That became clear after our last encounter on this topic. So I am not sure what your grievance could possibly be, beyond the fact that a “foreign” company bought Air UK all those years ago, and your life changed because of it.
KLM could have done things a lot differently, up to and including shutting down subsidiaries that were draining it of much needed cash. In the future I am sure I will be flying with some Dutch colleagues some of whom will be lamenting about how things used to be at KLM before we were bought out. Idealism usually grows around the past and things are remembered in a much better light than how they actually were. It is a negative spiral that can have no positive outcome.
Considering that KLM’s scale is too small too survive as a stand-alone company, there is no way on God’s green earth that Air UK would still have been around in the present aviation environment. KLM flies more international revenue kilometres than all but six other airlines in the world. In order of rank in 2002 for the top ten: BA, AF, LH, SQ, UA, JAL, KLM, AA, NWA, and Qantas). Our distinct weakness has been a lack of domestic size, and we are pretty much at the outreaches of were we could go. We have chosen to align with AF. The method chosen has been a take-over by AF of KLM. These companies on paper make a great fit. It is strategic in its intend, aligning two great companies who are in possession of two great strategic assets in AMS and CDG. They will combine to form the core of Skyteam, an alliance that will control almost 1 in 4 passengers travelling at any given time.
For the next five years, the name KLM will be around, after that who knows? For those five years I don’t expect too many changes at the operational level, after that we will see. I appreciate the vision, the gamble, and the guts that it took to take these decisions.
I realize you wish us nothing but the worst possible outcome, if that is getting you places, good for you. At no time have I shared these feelings towards my colleagues at KLM UK.
Regards, O.