Blog

“Building our future”: A Q&A with Stefan Vanovermeir at Air France KLM

July 8, 2025
6 min read
Air France and KLM planes on runway
#
Share it!

In today’s rapidly evolving travel landscape, airlines are rethinking how they connect with customers. Among the early adopters leading this transformation is Air France and KLM, currently undergoing a bold shift in airline retailing. In this Q&A, Air France KLM’s VP of distribution, Stefan Vanovermeir, talks to Amadeus about why it’s so urgent to find a more data-driven, modular, and human way to approach airline retailing in travel.

Why are Air France and KLM (AFKL) undertaking a business transformation centered on airline retailing?

Customers are looking for more. Just as they expect personalized experiences from Amazon and Netflix, now it’s time for airlines to deliver the same level of tailored services to customers.

This has led us to rethink our approach and recognize our customers’ diverse needs, preferences, and journeys. This shift isn’t just about technology; it’s about building a true retail and service mindset that puts the customer at the center. For airlines like ours, this is about more than competitiveness, it’s about staying relevant.

What needs to change to make this vision a reality?

While traditional airline IT systems have served the industry for decades, their fragmented nature can make it challenging to deliver the level of personalization and smooth service that today’s customers increasingly expect.

Emerging technologies and standards - like IATA’s ONE Order – are changing that. By consoli-dating information from the PNR (Passenger Name Record), e-ticket, and EMD (Electronic Miscellaneous Document) into a single customer-centric order, operations are simplified and more agile. This means that we’re better able to adapt our offers to meet unique traveler preferences.


Combined with innovations such as cloud and AI, our systems will become more streamlined, which reduces complexity, manual processing, and cost.

What benefits does the shift to ONE Order bring?

It unlocks the power of data. By consolidating all customer interactions into a single order record, we can break down silos and have real-time access to all customer interactions from booking to post-travel services.

This makes it easier for us to offer greater personalization. With ONE Order, dynamic pricing, real-time servicing, and AI-driven personalization at scale will become more of a reality.


All of this means that new product launches and innovations around ancillaries are easier and faster to roll out.


This shift empowers us to deliver more flexible, transparent, and engaging experiences. It’s a real game changer.

Why did Air France and KLM choose to partner with Amadeus on ONE Order?

When AFKL decided to be a front runner in ONE Order in 2023, we launched our MOON (Moving to Offer and Order Native) program. Our goal was to lead by example, showing how airlines can evolve while maintaining operational excellence. With that in mind, we spent a year focused on selecting the best provider for this journey and ultimately decided on Amadeus Nevio.

A big draw for us was the openness and modularity of the solution. We appreciated the freedom to build on top of a strong core to address new business needs as they arose. It’s impossible to anticipate exactly what we might need in the future, but with Amadeus Nevio, as an early-adopter, we will co-construct it. We can adapt as we go, and that’s the kind of flexibility we need to stay innovative and up to date with changing market trends.

What’s next for the future of airline retailing?

What we’re seeing with AFKL is part of a much larger wave of industry-wide transformation. The IATA ‘Digital Identity” initiative is part of it. Airlines are rethinking the customer experience.

This means adopting a customer-first mindset, supported by modern, modular technologies and data-driven capabilities. We believe that key themes for the future of airlines retail will be:

  • Modular: Technology that adapts to business needs
  • Data-driven: AI-driven insights for better decision-making
  • Human: Experiences designed around the person, not the process


At stake is more than just efficiency or revenue, it’s relevance.


It’s for that reason that we invite airline partners to join us in shaping a smarter, simpler and more customer-centric future.

"Airlines that can truly connect with customers, respond in real time, and build smooth experiences will thrive. Those that don’t, risk falling behind.


With the support of Amadeus and a bold vision for the future, we’re not just transforming Air France and KLM, we’re helping transform the future of travel."

Stefan Vanovermeir VP, Distribution, Air France-KLM

TO TOP

TO TOP