Air France-KLM is reportedly considering a rebrand, according to rumors that have been circulating online in industry circles.
According to this information, the airline group may change its name to “The Blue Group”, in a direct reference to the color palette that dominates the identity of its different airlines’ brands: Air France, KLM and Scandinavian Airlines-SAS (As of May 2026, Air France-KLM only owns 19.9% of SAS, but the group has already announced its intention to acquire a majority stake in the near future).
The new brand would also give Air France-KLM a more neutral name as it could expand through further airline acquisitions in the near future. If this is the case, the Franco-Dutch group would follow in the footsteps of International Airlines Group (IAG), which amalgamates British, Spanish, and Irish airlines under a parent company brand that is not tied to a specific geographical location.
In this regard, one of the possible vectors of expansion for Air France-KLM could be the acquisition of Portuguese flag carrier TAP Air Portugal, which has been put up for sale by the Portuguese government and is going through a competitive bidding process in which Air France-KLM arch-rival Lufthansa Group is also participating.
Dutch media reports have highlighted that there may not be internal consensus yet on this move, with group CEO Benjamin Smith favoring it, while other senior executives remain unconvinced.
A spokesperson for Air France-KLM send AeroTime the following statement which reflects the official position of the airline group about a potential name change for the group:
“When the project to raise the stake in SAS to 60.5% was announced in July 2025, the question of the Group name was already asked and answered. It is only logical to have that discussion, considering that we intend to add new brands to the Group. The current name only reflects our two historic brands. At this point no decision has been made.”
