The choices are as obvious as they are limited. KLM is benefiting big time from all the trouble at Qualiflyer. But at the same time losing to the big alliances. KLM lost Eurowings to LH and a lot of Germany traffic can potentially be lost. KLM doesn’t really want to link up with SR because they have the same trouble as KL; no big home market!
What SR does have though is a hub that actually works and SR has an organisation that works, unlike AZ! Speak to Italians about AZ and you wonder why KL ever got into bad with them in the first place.

What KL needs is an extra hub (wish of NW) and a bigger market. KL spoke with SR before, but their chairman didn’t like the Dutch, he is gone now and they are selling their assets at lightning speed so…..

KL doesn’t want to go with AF, because the French are as difficult to merge with as the Italians. KL really wants to use its very successful pseudo-merger formula on a European partner (it is very successful with NW).

The choices now are only SR and some smaller private airlines in Italy and Spain. Everything else is gone.

KL will also have a hard time motivating smaller partners after all the discontent from Braathens and Eurowings.

The European airline industry is consolidating; KL will need to decide if they want to remain no 4 carrier! Smaller flag-carrier-alliance-partners will be marginalized! Look at SK, did that weird link with LH in Star do them any good? NO and now they are stuck, very difficult route back out and no options for growth under LH dominance.

Since SR is not to only focus of the S air Group, a link might be timely!

Share your opinions with me and we will solve it for those guys at Schiphol!