KLM and ZeroAvia Plan Zero-Emission Demonstration Flight Using Liquid Hydrogen

KLM and ZeroAvia Plan Zero-Emission Demonstration Flight Using Liquid Hydrogen

ZeroAvia and KLM Royal Dutch Airlines today announced that they will work towards a demonstration flight using ZeroAvia’s ZA2000 zero-emission, hydrogen-electric engines for large regional turboprop.

Hydrogen-electric engines use hydrogen in fuel cells to generate electricity, which is then used to power electric motors to turn the aircraft’s propellers. The only emission is low-temperature water vapour, with studies therefore estimating an up to 90% reduction in climate impact when compared with typical kerosene-fueled flights.[1] 

As a first major target milestone, the companies aim to conduct an initial A-to-B flight demonstration between two airport locations in 2026. As well as identifying the optimal airport pair, immediate workstreams will be working towards regulatory permits to fly and ensuring supply of liquid hydrogen fuel and putting in place the supporting infrastructure for aircraft fueling. 

KLM Royal Dutch Airlines and BCG extend partnership for digital airline operations

Building Competitive Advantage Through Optimized Airline Operations

In an increasingly complex and volatile environment, reliable operational performance is a differentiator for airlines. KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, a pioneer in the airline industry, and Boston Consulting Group (BCG), one of the world’s leading management consulting firms, today announced a further extension of their partnership, aimed at improving airline operations worldwide. The partnership was first established in 2018 and was previously extended in 2021. 

 

Image KLM

Over the past six years, KLM and BCG have developed a comprehensive suite of AI-based tools to digitize and optimize airline operations. These AI-powered tools are tailored to the evolving needs of airlines, particularly post-pandemic as airlines must be resilient in the face of unprecedented volatility in the market and operations. Covering all planning horizons, from day-of-operations to long-term strategic planning, these products help airlines tackle complex decisions across all functional areas, including ground, fleet and maintenance, crew, and network departments. 

Airlines must continually make tradeoffs that affect flights, crew, ground staff, customer experience, and profitability. Unfortunately, these tradeoffs are often based on siloed information. KLM and BCG’s fully customized, in-house solutions constantly measure real-time performance and offer decision-support around a single source of truth in data. This approach enables front-line operations staff to see the full picture and make informed, consistent, and data-driven decisions with a clear sense of how they will play out across the network. 

Some notable products include: 

Pathfinder: A best-in-class schedule optimization tool, which empowers airlines to optimize their fleet and tail-assignment processes for robustness and cost in the days leading up to operations 

Sentry & Runway: Two disruption management tools for the day of operations, which resolve major and minor operational disruptions for flight and crew schedules, and help minimize delay costs and disruption for passengers 

CrewVision: A long-term cockpit and cabin crew resource management and planning tool, which calculates an optimal crew plan for the future, including hiring, training, and attrition 

Terra: A tool designed to improve the resource allocation process for ground resources on the day of operations (DoO)—taking into account available resources, equal distribution of workload for employees (employee satisfaction), delay probability, delay costs, and enhanced task times based on a number of factors, such as actual load 

Proven Results 

The implementation of these solutions has led to improvements in KLM’s operations across functions, from boosting airline operational efficiency to enhancing airline disruption management to data-driven integral resources planning. KLM has reduced non-performance costs and increased in value delivery within operations and delivered a strong ROI on the initiative. Staff at the Operations Control Center and other operational and network departments are performing with new levels of engagement, insights, confidence, and satisfaction. 

Since the partnership’s last extension in 2021, KLM and BCG have expanded their tailored solutions to other airlines. Today, the KLM-BCG partnership serves a prominent network of carriers of all sizes, business models, and geographies—such as point-to-point, single-hub, and multi-hub—and for both full-service and low-cost carriers.

Maarten Stienen, COO of KLM said: "Our Partnership with BCG continues to be one of the building blocks supporting KLM operations that bring value to our customers. Thanks to the continuous extension of our suite of tools and the KLM in-house capabilities that we have built up in recent years and our world-class people, KLM was able to derive a lot of value from its Operations Decision Support set of tools. KLM is excited to continue to innovate and improve through this unique cooperation with BCG."

Dirk-Maarten Molenaar, a BCG managing director and senior partner said: "We are thrilled to extend our partnership with KLM. Together, we have cemented our position as a leading player in digital airline operations over the past six years.  As the needs of airlines evolve, we are excited to continue engaging and innovating with the world’s leading carriers and supporting the digital transformation and optimization of their operations."

.

KLM adds year-round trans-Atlantic service between Portland and Amsterdam

KLM is expanding its trans-Atlantic network with a direct service between Amsterdam and Portland, Oregon. Starting October 27 in 2024, KLM will fly three times a week during winter and five times a week during summer from Amsterdam. This is KLM’s 21st direct destination in North America.

The new KLM flights will begin to operate Delta’s existing nonstop route between Portland and Amsterdam. Delta Air Lines is a partner in the trans-Atlantic joint venture with KLM. Delta Air Lines has been flying between Amsterdam and Portland for 15 years.

Flight schedule

Starting from October 27, KLM will fly three times a week on Tuesday, Friday and Sunday between Schiphol and Portland in winter. In summer 2025, KLM will fly five times a week on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday between Schiphol and Portland. The flights are operated by the Boeing 787-9 and offer 30 seats in World Business Class, 21 seats in Premium Comfort Class, and 224 seats in Economy Class.

The winter flight schedule is as follows:

KL615 departs from Amsterdam Schiphol Airport (code: AMS) at 10:25 a.m. and arrives at 11:25 a.m. local time at Portland International Airport (code: PDX).

KL616 departs from Portland International Airport at 1:25 p.m. local time and arrives the next day at 7:50 a.m. local time at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport.

The summer flight schedule (2025) is as follows:

KL615 departs from Amsterdam Schiphol Airport (code: AMS) at 10:40 a.m. and arrives at 11:30 a.m. local time at Portland International Airport (code: PDX).

KL616 departs from Portland International Airport at 1:30 p.m. local time and arrives the next day at 7:55 a.m. local time at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport. 

About Portland

Portland is the largest city of the state Oregon. It’s a year-round destination with a strong tourism sector, with many places of natural beauty such as Mt. Hood, Columbia River Gorge and Forest Park, as well as Portland’s award-winning culinary scene. It is also an important business destination, with the presence of leading companies in the sportswear, chip, automotive and healthcare industries.

.  

KLM reveals the name of the first A321neo

KLM has announced the names of its first four A321neo aircraft. The first A321neo, named Swallowtail, is expected to arrive at the end of August. Later this year, the KLM fleet will be strengthened with the addition of Peach Blossom, Common Brimstone and Waved Carpet.

With this new series of aircraft, KLM continues its tradition of giving unique names to its planes. Over the past 104 years, various themes have been chosen, ranging from names of members of the Royal family to bridges, aviation pioneers, and national parks. The theme selected by KLM employees for the new series of aircraft is butterflies. 

The introduction of the A321neo marks a significant milestone in KLM's fleet renewal efforts, aligning with the sector plan of "Cleaner, Quieter, More Efficient." These new aircraft are considerably quieter than the current generation of planes and result in a 21% reduction in CO2 emissions per passenger-kilometer.

.  

Investigation into fatal incident at Schiphol Airport concluded

The Royal Netherlands Marechaussee confirmed last week that the investigation into the death of a Schiphol Airport worker on 29 May has been concluded. They reported that the tragic incident occurred on the apron at Schiphol Airport, where a man fell into the running engine of an aircraft and died. The KLM aircraft was operating flight KL1341 which was bound for Billund. It had just completed the pushback procedure and was about to taxi to the runway.

The Royal Netherlands Marechaussee stated "The deceased man has been identified as an employee of a company operating at the airport. The investigation has revealed that he intentionally climbed into the engine, indicating this is a case of suicide. Out of respect for the victim and their loved ones, no further statements will be made."

.

KLM Global Research says peoples priorities shifted post covid......

As travel will be at historic levels this summer accompanied with rising costs, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines is launching its new brand platform Travel Well to promote and encourage meaningful travel to its 30.3 million passengers flying each year. KLM launched Travel Well to share the belief that travel is more than transportation. It is about making meaningful connections along the journey and that destinations are not just dots on a map to be collected. According to the global survey, Americans share this overall sentiment already but differ in other ways.

As part of its new platform, KLM tapped into the mindsets of 8,000 travelers across the globe in key markets including US, Canada, Brazil, Sweden, Norway, Germany, The Netherlands, The UK, Denmark, and China to determine what their travel priorities are and to gain insights into shifts in various attitudes and their take on what meaningful travel means to them.

"Traveling not only helps us reach new places, but also introduces us to unique experiences, leading to greater inspiration and understanding. This, I believe, is one of the most wonderful aspects of travel. Each journey offers a chance not just to unwind, but also to reflect and gain richness from the diverse encounters we have," says Barry ter Voert, CXO & EVP Business Development at KLM.

"It's about valuing meaningful connections with destinations, people, and experiences. Quality, not quantity, defines each journey, where you consistently come back to KLM's personal and hospitable atmosphere."

The KLM Group posted first-quarter revenues of €2.7 billion

The KLM Group posted first-quarter revenues of €2.7 billion against an operational loss of €290 million. Traditionally, the first quarter is low season for the airline industry. Costs are also rising. What’s more, fleet deployability was below par in January and February. Measures taken to resolve this resulted in an improvement in March. KLM also had to deal with particularly bad weather on several days in January and February, which meant we had to rebook customers on other flights.

“People want to fly KLM. We’re grateful for that. For us, the concrete task of stabilising operations is paramount. We’re addressing the shortage of engineers by redistributing maintenance work and recruitment. And we’ve doubled training capacity for pilots. We’re making up for reduced fleet deployability by hiring in additional aircraft. Adopting these measures already showed results in March. The first-quarter loss makes it all the more important to focus on reducing costs. We’ve taken additional, substantial measures to achieve this. KLM will stay on course and remains committed to achieving cleaner, quieter and more efficient operations.”

KLM President & CEO Marjan Rintel

KLM did however generate strong first-quarter revenues, showing that people still want to travel. In the first quarter of 2024, KLM and Transavia operated 94% of the capacity target.

Fleet deployability was below par. Aircraft needed to spend longer in the hangar waiting for parts, affected by ongoing worldwide supply chain problems. KLM had to hire aircraft to accommodate the longer maintenance time, while the cost of concluding and extending aircraft leases has risen significantly due to global shortages. The costs associated with compensating and caring for passengers affected by disruptions can be added to this. KLM is also facing increased labour costs due to the collective agreements concluded last year, while we are not yet able to operate the corresponding capacity.

KLM Royal Dutch Airlines to optimize operations with Gurobi

Gurobi Optimization, has confirmed this week that its solver helps power CrewVision, the innovative tool developed by KLM Royal Dutch Airlines in partnership with Boston Consulting Group (BCG) to facilitate long-term crew planning for airlines.

CrewVision makes it easy to create optimal five-year crew plans while accounting for critical factors, such as changes in industry regulations, fleets, hiring needs, and training requirements—a significant improvement from their previous outlook of nine months. With support from Gurobi’s solver, these five-year plans can now be generated within several hours, as opposed to an entire week. This allows KLM to spend more time strategizing around their long-term vision.

Prior to developing CrewVision, KLM used a legacy system to run analyses, with data spread across multiple sources. A total cycle took a week to process overall. With CrewVision, this is reduced to several hours.

“The nice thing about Gurobi is that we can easily experiment with different parameters and thresholds. We can do a lot of different runs to see what is still acceptable. So even though we have expanded the problem a lot, we can still go in and quickly get results that are quite good,” shares Tim Lamballais Tessensohn, Data Scientist at KLM.

KLM Royal Dutch Airlines and the Board of Airline Representatives in the Netherlands (BARIN) agree to the publication of the Social Cost-Benefit Analysis (SCBA) by the Ministry of Infrastructure & Wat

In a letter to the Ministry of Infrastructure & Water Management today, KLM and BARIN (which represents 50 airlines in the Netherlands) approved the publication of the Social Cost-Benefit Analysis (SCBA), which they commissioned jointly with the Royal Schiphol Group last year. The study was commissioned to ensure a better understanding of the various policy choices that would come into play if flight numbers are cut at Schiphol.

It was agreed at the time that the report would only be published jointly and with the consent of all the respective parties. It has since emerged that the contents of the report have already been made public. This has understandably led to questions being raised. Transparency is very important to KLM and BARIN, which is why they have now agreed to the publication of the SCBA by the Ministry of Infrastructure & Water Management.

KLM and BARIN initially chose not to publish the report, because they have many reservations about the methodology used and the conclusions drawn. As a result, the findings are incomplete and lack balance. The objections boil down to the following:

In the Social Cost-Benefits Analysis, the effects on climate are calculated at a global level, while the negative effects for passengers and the airline industry are calculated for the Netherlands only. Consequently, the positive outcomes predicted in the Environment & Noise Variant are greatly exaggerated and do not present a realistic scenario.

The report does not consider the effects of air traffic moving away from Schiphol to other airports in the world.

The report ignores the risks that the proposed scenario (Environment & Noise Variant) poses to the future of the airline industry in the Netherlands, to employment, the business climate, and to the continued existence of KLM. None of these important factors are sufficiently reflected in the report's calculations and conclusions.

KLM and BARIN will continue to work hard to strike a balance between the airline industry and the environment. KLM has emphasized this in its sector plan “cleaner, quieter and more efficient” and in the “10 Commitments” that KLM and 30 other industry parties and research institutes have signed up to. Together, these highlight the need for greater improvement and a further toughening of measures across the airline industry, which should be implemented globally, or at the very least at a European level.

The Ministry of Infrastructure & Water Management is expected to submit the SCBA to the House of Representatives of the Netherlands in the near future. The letter and attachment from KLM and BARIN to the Ministry are enclosed as a download.

Your travel planning isn’t complete without learning the language—or at least some essential phrases. Fully immerse yourself in the language, or use Phrasebook to learn travel essentials—the choice is yours!

Dutch carrier KLM reveals new A321neo livery

KLM will take delivery of its new Airbus A321neo in just a few more months, with Copenhagen, Berlin and Stockholm recently announced as initial destinations. The Royal Dutch airline also revealed further details about the new aircraft's livery and interior. The airline will commence operating the first of a total of around thirty A321neos in August.

The new livery – the aircraft's exterior paint scheme – is both eye-catching and practical: the dark line separating KLM’s trademark blue and white swoops farther down, rendering the nosedome completely blue. This will ensure that, in the event of an emergency replacement, a new nosedome can be fitted without disrupting the signature blue markings. Another new standout feature is the black outline around the cockpit windows, making them look like sunglasses.

More comfort

Passengers will experience a greater level of comfort thanks to the A321neo’s wider seats, larger tray tables and spacious luggage bins. Each seat is equipped with a tablet holder and a USB port, and there is multi-coloured "mood lighting" that adjusts at every stage of the flight. Crew members will also have more room for manoeuvre thanks to the wider aisle and easy-to-reach overhead bins. The A321neo interior was meticulously designed to enhance the KLM experience, with additional blue detailing and special lighting at the entrance to ensure a warm welcome.

Cleaner, quieter, more fuel-efficient

Preparations for the introduction of the new aircraft are in full swing. KLM will debut Airbus321neo operations in August.

Marjan Rintel, CEO of KLM said:  "The arrival of the A321neo marks a major upgrade of our European fleet. It is 50% quieter and generates 15% fewer carbon emissions than the aircraft it is replacing, making this an important step towards cleaner, quieter and more fuel-efficient aviation."

.

Your travel planning isn’t complete without learning the language—or at least some essential phrases. Fully immerse yourself in the language, or use Phrasebook to learn travel essentials—the choice is yours!

KL1152 incident at Gothenburg Airport

On Wednesday morning, 17 January, a KLM Boeing 737 aircraft operating under flight number KL1152 from Gothenburg to Amsterdam veered off the taxiway while taxiing in wintry conditions and came to rest with its nose wheel in the grass. The aircraft was carrying 124 passengers and 6 crew members. 

The safety of the passengers and crew was not affected and they were able to disembark from the aircraft unharmed down aircraft stairs. Another aircraft, an Embraer was sent to pick passengers up and take them to Amsterdam.

Transfer passengers who may have missed connecting flights will be rebooked on the next available flights. The aircraft in question has since been towed to the terminal in Gothenburg. KLM regrets this incident and has launched an investigation, as is customary under such circumstances.

KLM Staying on course

Staying on course. KLM looks back to 2023, the sky unfolds a story of magical moments and complex challenges. Here's to the joy of shared experiences,  people rising to all challenges and to the memories we created together. 

Bas Brouns named as next CFO of KLM

KLM announced this week its intention to appoint Bas Brouns as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and Managing Director of KLM, effective 24 April 2024. He succeeds Erik Swelheim, who will step down at the 2024 shareholders’ meeting at the end of his current term, after 12 years as KLM’s CFO. Bas Brouns (52) is currently Senior Vice President of Corporate Controller at KLM. He has worked at KLM for almost 27 years in various financial positions.

Cees 't Hart, chairman of the KLM Supervisory Board said:  "We are very pleased to be able to nominate someone from KLM to this important post on the Executive Committee. Bas is a highly experienced and passionate professional who has led both Finance & Treasury and Controlling at KLM. I warmly congratulate him on this nomination and wish him all the very best in his new role. I would like to thank Erik for his three terms as CFO. He has played a vital role on the KLM Executive Committee and has impressively shaped KLM’s financial strategy."

KLM refreshes some orange pride.

After 8 years of hard work, in all weathers, travelling all across the world,  it was time for a little loving care to be taken of this beautiful bird.  A fresh coat of orange paint to make it ready for a whole host of new adventures all over this globe we call Earth.

KLM have updated the special livery on their long-haul jet PH-BVA, first taking off the old paint, striping the massive aircraft down to its naked skin and then applying a whole new refreshed covering.

  

KLM Delftware Miniature No. 104 released as it celebrates its 104th anniversary.

KLM Royal Dutch Airlines celebrates its 104^th anniversary on 7 October in traditional fashion, presenting the latest addition to its collection of Delftware replicas of buildings with a unique history. This new miniature depicts the oldest station building in the Netherlands, which is in Valkenburg aan de Geul in the province of Limburg. The station is still in use as a stop on the Heuvelland Line between Maastricht and Heerlen. Now almost 170 years old, the building is a national heritage site owned by NS Dutch Railways and the railway management company ProRail.

The latest addition to the collection was presented to local mayor Daan Prevoo by KLM President & CEO Marjan Rintel at a reception held in front of the station building, attended by several hundred guests.

“

I am thrilled that Valkenburg aan de Geul, with its unique marlstone station, is now part of KLM’s superb Delftware collection. Valkenburg is all about hospitality, history, beauty, and quality. I’m very proud of this acknowledgment, which reflects KLM’s identity as a reliable and customer-friendly airline. I consider it an honour to celebrate the bond between Valkenburg aan de Geul and KLM.

Daan Prevoo, Mayor of Valkenburg aan de Geul

It gives me great pleasure to present this miniature to the mayor of the beautiful town of Valkenburg aan de Geul. Having worked for NS Dutch Railways in the past, I know how committed people are to conserving the rich and interesting rail history of our country. We chose this building because it represents the shared future of KLM and NS Dutch Railways, in which we will further expand our range of air-rail services to replace short distance flights. We’re working hard to make this happen. This is important to KLM because it is a key aspect of our efforts to make our operations cleaner, quieter, and more efficient.

KLM CEO Marjan Rintel

„

Beautiful, romantic setting
The castle-like station building was designed by architect Jacob Enschedé in early English Gothic Revival style, with corner towers and battlements, which was in keeping with the preferred style of the sumptuous spas for which Valkenburg is famous. The station was taken into operation almost 170 years ago, on 23 October 1853, as a stop on the first international rail link between Maastricht and Aachen. Fully restored in 2005, the station has continued to fulfil an important infrastructural role for the town of Valkenburg aan de Geul, which attracts tourists from all over the Netherlands and beyond.

Top three favourite stations in the Netherlands
According to a station experience monitor run by NS Dutch Railways and ProRail, Valkenburg Station is among the top three favourites in the Netherlands, based on scores given by passengers last year. KLM chose to add the station to its collection partly to celebrate the important role that railways have always played in the accessibility of the Netherlands. KLM is striving to make broader use of air-rail options.

The station is part of the building's collection of NS Dutch Railways and ProRail, consisting of 50 stations that each have their own unique architectural character, which is worth retaining and making accessible to the public.

“

In my opinion, it’s perfect that – in this age where train and aircraft are complementing each other more closely – one of the most beautiful stations in the country has been added to KLM’s collection of Delftware replicas. For 170 years, Valkenburg Station has been a firm favourite among train passengers, and I am sure KLM passengers will delight in this beautiful building.

Wouter Koolmees, CEO of NS Dutch Railways

It’s wonderful that Valkenburg Station, the oldest station building in the Netherlands, has been chosen as the latest addition to KLM’s collection. This captures how air and rail traffic are connecting with one another. As guardians of this station, we’re also very proud because we feel it is an iconic symbol of sustainability. For many years, we have taken good care of the station here in Valkenburg, which is so close to neighbouring countries. Many nationalities pass through our town by train. The fact that replicas of our station will now also be presented to international airline passengers is a great tribute.”

John Voppen, CEO of ProRail

„

Third Delftware miniature house in Limburg
The station in Valkenburg aan de Geul is the third building in the province of Limburg that KLM has added to its collection of Delftware miniatures. Presented in 2001, Miniature No. 82 is a replica of Huys op de Jeker located at No. 5 Bonnefantenstraat in Maastricht, while No. 84, presented in 2003, is a replica of De Oude Munt Tavern located at No. 7 Muntpromenade in Weert.

About KLM’s Delftware miniatures
Since the 1950s, KLM has presented Delftware miniature houses filled with Bols Jenever to its World Business Class passengers on intercontinental flights. These replicas of classic Dutch houses with a special history are prized collector’s items. Since 1994, the house numbers have kept pace with KLM’s age, with a new miniature being added to the collection every year to mark KLM’s anniversary on 7 October.

KLM will be serving 157 destinations this winter

KLM’s winter schedule this season will run from Sunday, 29 October 2023 to Sunday, 31 March 2024. The French city of Marseille has been added to the network. KLM is also offering over 20% more seats to Canada this winter compared to last year. Over the winter season, direct flights to Beijing and Shanghai will again depart daily. All Boeing 787-9 and 787-10 aircraft now feature Premium Comfort, KLM’s newest intermediate class. Reconfiguration of the B777-300 fleet to feature the new World Business Class seats and Premium Comfort Class will be completed this winter. The same reconfiguration process will then start for the B777-200 fleet. This winter, KLM’s network will include 157 destinations: 92 in Europe and 65 intercontinental. The number of destinations served in winter is always slightly lower than in summer due to fluctuating seasonal demand.

Europe

KLM will be adding Marseille to its European network. From 29 October, the French city will be served thrice daily. Like last winter, KLM will be flying to Rovaniemi (Finland) this winter season too. The twice weekly service will be maintained this year. Rennes will be served daily. While this French destination will be new this winter, it represents a continuation of the summer schedule. The number of seats has been increased by 7% compared to the previous winter schedule.

North America

This winter, KLM will serve 19 destinations in North America (Canada, the US and Mexico). In the US, KLM will operate a daily service to Washington. This means three extra flights a week compared to last winter. Premium Comfort Class will be available for most US destinations. This newest KLM class offers passengers comfortable seats, including extra legroom and a private catering concept.

KLM is offering over 20% more seats to Canada compared to last year. Weekly, there will be an average of eleven flights to Toronto, four to Montreal, three to Edmonton, seven to Calgary and four to Vancouver.

Caribbean and Suriname

KLM will operate a daily service to Curaçao and in the peak period (during the Christmas and spring holidays) the island will be served 11 times a week. For Aruba, in combination with Bonaire, KLM will operate a daily service using Airbus A330-200 or A330-300 equipment, as it did in summer 2023.St Maarten will be combined with Port of Spain (Trinidad and Tobago). Three to four flights a week will be operated to this destination. Paramaribo (Suriname) will be served six times a week with B777-300 aircraft.

South America

KLM will be operating a daily service to Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia and Panama. In line with last year, Buenos Aires (Argentina) will be combined with Santiago de Chile (Chile). San José (Costa Rica) will be served four times a week, either direct or with a stopover. There will also be six flights a week to Lima (Peru) and Quito and Guayaquil (Ecuador).

Africa

KLM will operate daily services to two destinations in South Africa: Johannesburg and Cape Town. There will also be daily B777-300 flights to Nairobi and Accra. Passengers will have the option of flying to three destinations in Tanzania this winter: five times a week to Kilimanjaro in combination with Dar es Salaam. Also, there will be two flights to Zanzibar in combination with Dar es Salaam. KLM will operate six flights a week to Lagos (Nigeria). Additionally, Kigali in Rwanda and Entebbe in Uganda will also be served five times a week this winter.

Asia and the Middle East

In Asia, the route to Taipei combined with Manila will be returning (four times a week) and the stopovers in Seoul and Bangkok have been suspended. Capacity to Asia has not yet fully recovered from the Covid-19 pandemic.

The destinations listed:

·         Beijing and Shanghai (China) will be served daily.

·         Hong Kong will be served directly four times a week this winter, adding one extra flight a week compared to winter 2022.

·         Daily flights to and from Tokyo Narita (Japan) will be operated non-stop this winter, which amounts to three extra flights a week compared to last year. The Osaka (Japan) route will be served three times a week.

·         Seoul in South Korea will be served six times a week.

·         There will be a daily flight to Bali with a stopover in Singapore, as in 2022.

·         There will be five weekly flights to Jakarta (Indonesia) with a stopover in Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia).

·         Daily flights will be operated to Bangkok (Thailand).

·         In India, Mumbai and Delhi will be served daily and there will be five flights a week to Bengaluru, representing an additional flight compared to winter 2022.

Daily flights will be operated to Dubai. KLM will be raising capacity on the route to Riyadh and Dammam which was launched last year. These destinations will be served six times a week, which is an extra flight compared to winter 2022.

Intercontinental destinations KLM will no longer be serving this winter include Barbados, Kuwait, Bahrain and Muscat. Capacity released from these flights will be deployed on other routes.

KLM will be serving 157 destinations this winter

KLM’s winter schedule this season will run from Sunday, 29 October 2023 to Sunday, 31 March 2024. The French city of Marseille has been added to the network. KLM is also offering over 20% more seats to Canada this winter compared to last year. Over the winter season, direct flights to Beijing and Shanghai will again depart daily. All Boeing 787-9 and 787-10 aircraft now feature Premium Comfort, KLM’s newest intermediate class. Reconfiguration of the B777-300 fleet to feature the new World Business Class seats and Premium Comfort Class will be completed this winter. The same reconfiguration process will then start for the B777-200 fleet. This winter, KLM’s network will include 157 destinations: 92 in Europe and 65 intercontinental. The number of destinations served in winter is always slightly lower than in summer due to fluctuating seasonal demand.

Europe

KLM will be adding Marseille to its European network. From 29 October, the French city will be served thrice daily. Like last winter, KLM will be flying to Rovaniemi (Finland) this winter season too. The twice-weekly service will be maintained this year. Rennes will be served daily. While this French destination will be new this winter, it represents a continuation of the summer schedule. The number of seats has been increased by 7% compared to the previous winter schedule.

North America

This winter, KLM will serve 19 destinations in North America (Canada, the US and Mexico). In the US, KLM will operate a daily service to Washington. This means three extra flights a week compared to last winter. Premium Comfort Class will be available for most US destinations. This newest KLM class offers passengers comfortable seats, including extra legroom and a private catering concept.

KLM is offering over 20% more seats to Canada compared to last year. Weekly, there will be an average of eleven flights to Toronto, four to Montreal, three to Edmonton, seven to Calgary and four to Vancouver.

Caribbean and Suriname

KLM will operate a daily service to Curaçao and in the peak period (during the Christmas and spring holidays) the island will be served 11 times a week. For Aruba, in combination with Bonaire, KLM will operate a daily service using Airbus A330-200 or A330-300 equipment, as it did in summer 2023.St Maarten will be combined with Port of Spain (Trinidad and Tobago). Three to four flights a week will be operated to this destination. Paramaribo (Suriname) will be served six times a week with B777-300 aircraft.

South America

KLM Crown Lounges now open at Toronto and Houston airports

KLM recently opened two renovated Lounges at the airports of Toronto, Canada and Houston, Texas, United States. Together with the lounges at Schiphol Airport Amsterdam, these are KLM’s only Crown Lounges worldwide. Rejuvenation of these lounges forms part of KLM’s broader strategy: “Run a great airline for our customers and our people”.

With the renovation of the two lounges into KLM Crown Lounges, KLM wants to offer its customers the most attractive lounges in the world, by emphasizing comfort and convenience, all in a recognizable and trusted KLM environment.

Comfortable and stylish

Comfortable, stylish and ergonomic furniture and fixtures made of sustainable elements and circular materials were chosen for the refurbishment of both lounges. The lounges are recognizable thanks to the KLM blue and the use of warm, natural colours. Additionally, as is also the case in the lounges at Schiphol, KLM’s Delftware miniature houses are on display. Several seating areas have been created for customers in the lounges. They can choose to work quietly in a more secluded (work) area or opt for more activity elsewhere in the lounge. Customers can also enjoy what the buffet has to offer, with customized options depending on the time of day. 

Festive opening

Many people attended the festive openings of both lounges, including travel agency employees, influencers, US and Canadian (travel) media, airport representatives, Delta colleagues and AFKL partners. Marleen van de Pol, VP of Customer Experience performed the official opening of both lounges. 

Marleen van de Pol, VP Customer Experience said: "We’re very pleased with the positive response from customers, agents and partners who celebrated the openings with us. Investment in signature lounges at international stations are the cornerstone of elevating the premium customer experience, aligning perfectly with our commitment to investing in our new World Business Class and our recently introduced Premium Comfort cabin. Branded lounges add to the connection with our customers in delivering our brand promise of creating memorable experiences." 

KLM offers 81 flights every week to American destinations, including New York, Atlanta, Austin, Washington, Las Vegas, San Francisco and Los Angeles. Houston is visited 6 times a week. KLM flies 36 times a week to the 5 Canadian destinations Toronto, Calgary, Vancouver, Edmonton and Montreal. Toronto is visited 13 times a week.

KLM to invest in cleaner, quieter and more fuel-efficient long-haul aircraft with an order of new Airbus A350s

KLM plans to renew its older generation long-haul fleet with Airbus A350 family aircraft in the coming years. The Airbus A350 is acknowled­ged as the most fuel-efficient and silent aircraft of its generation. These new wide-body aircraft have substantial benefits in terms of reducing CO2 emissions and noise impact. Procurement is subject to the recommendations of the KLM Works Council.

Marjan Rintel, CEO KLM said "Today marks a very special day for KLM. We have taken a big step towards our future with the proposed decision of purchasing new aircraft. We can make our fleet significantly cleaner, quieter and more fuel-efficient with the A350s. This is important, because we are all faced with the major task of becoming more sustainable. Furthermore, we can offer our passengers much more service and comfort on intercontinental destinations."

The Air France KLM Group has signed an agreement with Airbus for a total of 50 Airbus A350-900 and A350-1000 aircraft, with an option for 40 further aircraft. The 50 aircraft have been ordered and will be allocated between KLM and Air France according to local market dynamics and regulatory conditions. KLM expects to begin deploying the Airbus A350 on intercontinental flights from 2026, replacing its Boeing 777-200ERs, Airbus A330-200s and Airbus A330-300s.

More sustainable and quieter

The new Airbus A350 constitutes a major step in building a cleaner and quieter fleet, producing 40% less noise and burning 25% less fuel than similar aircraft of the older generation. The hull of the aircraft largely consists of reinforced, lightweight materials (composites and titanium), ensuring that longer distances can be covered with less fuel. In combination with the use of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and other operational innovations and efficiency gains, these new aircraft will significantly contribute to making operations cleaner, quieter and more fuel-efficient. The Airbus A350 is also important in terms of customer experience, comfort and efficiency.

KLM wins APEX World Class Award 2024

For the third consecutive year, KLM has again won the APEX World Class Award. This special recognition is awarded by customers and the industry for performance in relation to themes including safety, customer well-being and sustainability. The prestigious award is presented annually by the international Airline Passenger Experience Association (APEX), which evaluates passenger perceptions. Winners are chosen on the basis of worldwide audits and consumer reviews, and are required to be awarded five-star reviews at the very least. In addition to winning the World Class Award, KLM was also recognised as Best-in-Class for Sustainability.

The World Class Award reflects service, guest experiences, safety and sustainability performance. KLM aims to shine in relation to all these aspects, on the ground, in its lounges and of course on board.

 

Barry ter Voert, CXO & EVP Business Development said:  "We’re incredibly proud to have won the APEX World Class Award for the third year in a row. We prioritise carrying our passengers safely and in comfort, while also focusing on making flying cleaner, quieter and more fuel-efficient. To this end, we invest heavily in vigorous fleet renewal and purchasing sustainable fuel. The award serves as fitting recognition for everyone at KLM who makes every effort, every day to serve our customers."

APEX

APEX is the biggest international airline association when it comes to passenger perceptions and has developed into a renowned research and rating organisation. 

This year’s World Class Award was dished out to eight airlines. Alongside KLM, this included Emirates, Singapore Airlines, Qatar Airways, Japan Airlines, Xiamen Airlines and Saudia.