French-Dutch airline group Air France-KLM, the third-largest in Europe, has partnered with Dublin, Ireland-based Accenture to transition the group’s digital applications to the cloud.

The partners have defined a standard operating model with a governance process, allowing Accenture to co-lead the initiative. They have also established a cloud migration factory that uses predefined and reusable templates, enabling simultaneous migration and transformation of the group’s existing applications in the cloud.

Air France-KLM's digital ecosystem comprises three proprietary data centers that house the airline group's digital applications and data infrastructure. These facilities support a vast operation spanning multiple airline brands, including Air France (AF), KLM Royal Dutch Airlines (KL), Transavia (HV), and Martinair (MP)—over 551 aircraft serve approximately 93 million passengers annually across 320 destinations in 100 countries. 

While functional, the existing infrastructure represents a traditional approach to enterprise IT that has become increasingly limiting given today's break-speed digital environment. With the new cloud infrastructure, Air France-KLM can access information in real-time, allowing for more data-driven decision-making, stronger collaborations, and improved business resilience and growth opportunities.

Beyond immediate operational improvements, Air France-KLM's cloud migration is designed to establish the digital foundation to leverage artificial intelligence, machine learning, and advanced analytics to improve the group's operational methodology. These technologies are set to transform how the group optimizes routes, manages maintenance schedules, personalizes customer experiences, and even addresses environmental challenges.

Comments by Partner Officials

“By leveraging cloud and AI, we can build more flexible and efficient operations that enhance agility and performance across the organisation,” said Pierre-Olivier Bandet, executive vice president of information systems at Air France-KLM.

Sabine Bechelani, managing director for travel and client account lead at Accenture, said: “This collaboration underscores our ability to help clients establish the digital core needed to successfully compete in the operationally complex and highly competitive market of air travel. As a result, we are enabling our clients to thrive and innovate with speed, efficiency and access to information.”

Bandet added: “Our work with Accenture will help us unlock new opportunities to streamline processes, optimise decision-making, and leverage data to continuously improve the travel experience for millions of customers.”

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