, Columnist
Emmanuel Macron Wants to Fly, But Air France Won't Let Him
It's natural that French airline workers want a raise, but the carrier can't afford their demands yet.
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Emmanuel Macron wants foreigners to see France as an enterprising and dynamic place. Flag carrier Air France, which helps form many visitors' first impressions of the country, isn't doing the president any favors.
Not to be outdone by fractious students and railway workers, the airline's employees have gone on strike, again. The latest bout of industrial action has cost Air France-KLM about 220 million euros ($270 million) so far -- about 15 percent of estimated operating profit. On Friday, chief executive Jean-Marc Janaillac threatened to quit unless workers backed his plan for more moderate wage increases.