Air France-KLM Chief Spinetta Quits After 11 Years

Pierre-Henri Gourgeon has been appointed chief executive officer of Air France-KLM (AF-KLM) by its board of directors from 1 January 2009. He has likewise been appointed CEO of Air France (AF) effective 1 January.

From the same date, Jean-Cyril Spinetta will remain in his position as chairman of the board of directors of AF-KLM and AF, but will cease to exercise the duties of CEO.

During Spinetta's term the company returned to profit from near-bankruptcy in the mid-1990s and became Europe's biggest airline group with the purchase of KLM in 2004.

“After 11 years as chief executive of Air France, and then Air France-KLM, I felt it necessary to propose an internal solution that would guarantee continuity of governance, in view of the difficult economic climate facing us,” Spinetta said. “This way, we will protect the group’s interests, while abiding by the principles which have underpinned its constitution and will remain relevant going forward.”

His successor Gourgeon has been COO since April 1998 and deputy CEO of Air France-KLM since June 2004. Educated at Paris École Polytechnique and the École Nationale Supérieure de l'Aéronautique, he also holds a master of sciences degree from the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena and qualified as a fighter pilot at the French Air Force Academy.