KLM President and CEO Marjan Rintel has swapped her executive role for a flight attendant uniform, joining cabin crew aboard a Boeing 777-300ER operating from Amsterdam Schiphol Airport to Johannesburg, South Africa.
During the long-haul flight, Rintel assisted with onboard service, experienced KLM’s new intercontinental catering offering and spoke directly with passengers about their travel experiences. She also worked in Economy Class, gaining firsthand insight into the service delivered across different parts of the cabin.
Rintel shared the experience on LinkedIn, highlighting how KLM’s cabin crew help passengers feel welcome and comfortable. She also acknowledged the physical and mental demands of the role, including spending long hours on their feet while remaining alert and maintaining high service standards.
This was not her first time returning to frontline duties. Rintel previously joined cabin crew on a flight to Los Angeles, and these experiences help her better understand employees’ daily challenges and identify opportunities to improve the airline’s operations and customer experience.
Rintel became KLM’s President and CEO on July 1, 2022, after holding several operational, commercial and leadership positions at the airline and later serving as CEO of Dutch Railways.
She is not the only airline leader to take this approach. In 2023, Lufthansa CEO Jens Ritter also worked alongside cabin crew on flights to Riyadh and Bahrain, serving passengers in both Business and Economy Class. Such initiatives allow senior executives to experience frontline operations directly and better understand the challenges faced by employees.
