Couderc, 68, will be appointed on Tuesday, Le Figaro reported, citing sources. A former top executive at Lagardere's publishing company Hachette, she joined Air France-KLM's board in May 2016.

She was elected deputy in 1993 and headed the ministry for employment and social affairs between 1995 and 1997.

Air France-KLM has to renew its governance following the resignation of CEO and chairman Jean-Marc Janaillac. He left the company after staff rejected a pay deal aimed at ending a wave of strikes at its French brand.

Air France's boss Franck Terner and his counterpart at KLM, Pieter Elbers, will continue to oversee the company's operations, as will CFO Frederic Gagey, the paper reported.

A spokesman for Air France-KLM declined to comment.

(Reporting by Cyril Altmeyer; Writing by Mathieu Rosemain; Editing by Geert De Clercq)

Stocks treated in this article : Air France-KLM, Lagardère