Air France-KLM CEO voices confidence in Boeing 787

by Reuters Jun 13, 2025

The head of Air France-KLM voiced confidence in the Boeing 787 Dreamliner as he expressed condolences to Air India and those affected by the deadly crash of a London-bound passenger jet in Ahmedabad on Thursday.

"We still have confidence in the airplane; we have 34 787s in the KLM fleet," Ben Smith, CEO of the Franco-Dutch airline group, told the Paris Air Forum conference on Friday, noting that the tragic accident is under investigation.

Air France-KLM CEO Benjamin M. Smith speaks during a press conference at an annual meeting of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) in New Delhi, India, June 1, 2025. REUTERS/Priyanshu Singh

Speaking at the same event, Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury also expressed condolences to families of victims of the crash, the worst aviation disaster in a decade.

India's air accident agency is investigating the cause of the crash which killed more than 240 people and safety experts have cautioned it is too early to speculate on the causes.

India's aviation regulator on Friday directed Air India to carry out safety inspections on its Boeing 787-8/9 fleet, an order showed on Friday.