Manuel Flahault took over as general director of Air France-KLM for Portugal and Spain on September 1, 2026, in Lisbon. The executive transitions from the role of general director of the company for Brazil and the Southern Cone, a region that includes Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, Paraguay and Bolivia. Throughout his career at the group, he held prominent roles based in Paris, namely as Director of Corporate Sales for France and Director of Global Corporate Accounts, accumulating over two decades of experience in areas such as Sales, Revenue Management, Corporate Accounts and Marketing.
Academically, Flahault holds a Master's degree in International Business Management from HEC Paris and an MBA from ITAM Mexico, and is fluent in Portuguese, Spanish, French and English. The new head highlighted his enthusiasm for the challenge of leading operations in a dynamic and strategic market for the Group, establishing as priorities the consolidation of the airlines' position in the region, strengthening relationships with customers and partners, and focusing on operational excellence, in alignment with the global goal of reducing CO2 emissions.
The appointment reinforces the group's historical presence in the Iberian Peninsula, where Air France has operated in Spain since 1933 and KLM in Portugal since 1940. During the current summer season, Air France and KLM maintain operations from three Portuguese airports — Lisbon, Porto and Faro — and from 12 airport facilities in Spain, providing direct connections to the hubs of Paris-Charles de Gaulle and Amsterdam-Schiphol.
