Category Archives: KLM Royal Dutch Airlines

Air France-KLM orders 100 Airbus A320neo family aircraft

Another blow to Boeing. Air France-KLM issued this statement:

On December 16, 2021, the Air France-KLM Board of Directors made the decision to move forward on the Group’s goal to improve its economic and environmental performance through the introduction of next generation aircraft. In doing so, the Group also demonstrated its ability to leverage purchasing synergies.

1. Firm order for 100 Airbus A320neo family aircraft – with purchase rights for 60 additional aircraft, to renew the fleets of KLM and Transavia Netherlands, and to renew and expand the fleet of Transavia France.

The order covers Airbus A320neo and Airbus A321neo aircraft. The first deliveries are expected in the second half of 2023.

Benefiting from the latest technological innovations, the A320neo family aircraft offer the best performance in their category for the network needs of the Group’s airlines. Compared to previous generation aircraft, they offer a unit cost reduction of more than 10%, as well as a 15% reduction in fuel consumption and CO₂ emissions. Their noise footprint is also 50% lower.

Fleet renewal is the first lever to cut CO₂ emissions, with immediate effect. Alongside the use of sustainable aviation fuels and eco-piloting, it is one of the pillars of the Group’s decarbonization trajectory, which aims for net zero emissions by 2050, and -50% CO₂ emissions per passenger/km by 2030, i.e. -15% in absolute terms.

These aircraft will operate medium-haul routes in Europe, notably from Amsterdam-Schiphol – KLM’s global hub and Transavia Netherlands’ main base, and from Paris-Orly, Transavia France’s main base.

Details of the cabin configuration will be announced at a later date.

2. Signature of a Letter of Intent (LOI) for the purchase of 4 Airbus A350F Full Freighter aircraft – with purchase rights for 4 additional aircraft, to increase cargo capacity at Air France.

In the context of a steady and sustainable growth of demand for air cargo, this order would increase Air France-KLM’s cargo capacity.

Air France-KLM would be among the launch operators of the A350F Full Freighter.

This order would come with full substitution rights to Airbus A350 passenger aircraft, which constitute the new spearhead of the Air France long-haul fleet. The airline currently operates 12 of the 38 aircraft of the type on order.

Benjamin Smith, CEO of the Air France-KLM Group, said: “These evolutionary orders will position our Group airlines on the path to improved performance while accelerating our decarbonization trajectory. This is a major step forward for KLM, Transavia and Air France, which will operate the best aircraft available for their network needs. The outstanding performances of the A320neo family and of the A350F Full-Freighter, which are quieter, more fuel-efficient and more cost-effective aircraft, make them the best choices for the long-term growth of our fleet. They will be instrumental in reaching our ambitious targets, including zero net CO₂ emissions by 2050.”

As of December 15, 2021, Air France-KLM operated a fleet of 502 aircraft to over 300 destinations worldwide.

KLM to serve more Italian destinations through new codeshare agreement with ITA Airways

KLM and the Italian airline ITA Airways have signed a new codeshare agreement. The agreement will enable passengers to book KLM tickets to ITA’s European destinations and ITA customers will be able to book tickets to KLM’s European destinations. KLM and ITA will also facilitate easy transfers for passengers at Rome Fiumicino and Amsterdam Schiphol Airport.

The agreement will give KLM customers access to more destinations in Italy and other ITA destinations in south-east Europe.

The partnership will allow KLM customers to book tickets to eight new destinations in Southern Europe. KLM passengers will be able to fly with ITA via Rome or Milan to Palermo, Reggio Calabria, Bari, Brindisi, Lamezia Terme and Trieste in Italy, to Malta, and to the Albanian city of Tirana.

KLM currently offers 18 daily flights between Amsterdam and Milan (Malpensa Airport and Linate Airport), Turin, Genoa, Rome, Venice, Florence, Bologna and Catania. Customers flying to Catania, Genoa and Venice will also have more options. In addition to KLM’s direct daily services, it will also be possible to transfer to ITA flights to these destinations.

KLM statement on Dutch entry ban for travelers coming from certain southern African countries

On November 26 the Dutch government announced that South Africa, Lesotho, Eswatini, Botswana, Namibia and Zimbabwe have been flagged as a very-high-risk area where there is a COVID-variant of concern. This means passengers flying KLM from South Africa to the Netherlands will only be permitted to board if they comply with the entry restrictions imposed by the Dutch government.

The entry ban does not apply for the repatriation of people carrying Dutch passports, EU citizens, Schengen residents, medical emergency staff, ships’ crew, airline staff and people traveling under exceptional circumstances, such as family emergencies.

Passengers in the above exceptional categories will have to comply with the following test requirements in order to travel:

– A negative PCR/NAAT test that is less than 24 hours old when going on board and less than 48 hours old when arriving the Netherlands, or a negative PCR/NAAT test that is less than 48 hours old before departure to the Netherlands, as well as a negative rapid test that is less than 24 hours old when boarding the flight;
– A compulsory 10-day quarantine on arrival in the Netherlands, reduced to five days if a negative test is obtained after five days via the GGD public health authorities in the Netherlands.

Effect of entry ban on KLM-flights

KLM will continue to fly to South Africa, operating its flights from Johannesburg and Cape Town to Amsterdam in compliance with the stricter protocol. KLM is taking the situation very seriously and will continue to prioritize the safety of passengers and crew. KLM will therefore impose strict on-board safety requirements for passengers and crew. This protocol will be in line with the requirements issued by the respective governments.

On November 26 two KLM flights from Cape Town and Johannesburg landed at Schiphol. All passengers were ushered off these flights to a special location at Schiphol where they are being tested. The disembarking and testing procedure is the responsibility of the GGD public health authorities.
Passengers who wish to rebook their flight, due to the prevailing circumstances, are welcome to do so in accordance with the flexible booking conditions that already apply.

KLM produces its first operating profit during COVID-19 in the third quarter

KLM issued this financial report for the third quarter:

The process of recovery that was already visible in the second quarter continued into the third quarter. This therefore marks the first time KLM has closed a quarter with an operating profit since the start of the Covid-19 crisis nineteen months ago.

KLM Group’s operating result in the third quarter of 2021 amounted to a profit of €168 million, compared to a loss of €234 million in 2020 and a profit of €511 million in 2019. Turnover totaled €1.890 billion, compared to €1.144 billion in 2020 and €3.131 billion in 2019.

With the summer holiday period from July through to the end of September, this is traditionally a strong quarter for the airline industry. Borders within Europe gradually opened up for travelers and the Caribbean part of the kingdom was assigned a green or yellow colour code by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Partly as a result of this, KLM welcomed 5.2 million passengers on board last summer, compared to 2.3 million in 2020 and 9.5 million in 2019. Transavia also reflects a positive trend. This shows that recovery has continued across the passenger business. Customers want to travel and the impact of borders opening up is directly visible in the bookings. For next winter, customers will be able to choose from 162 KLM destinations. What’s more, the range of destinations, with more emphasis on leisure, will return to its pre-Covid-19 level.

Cargo continues to perform well. Turnover rose to €467 million, representing an increase of 13%, even though market capacity was up compared to the third quarter of 2020. The maintenance division continued to suffer from the decreasing demand for third-party maintenance. Third-party turnover therefore amounted to €77 million, reflecting a decrease of 22%.

Air France-KLM loses 192 million euros in the third quarter

Air France-KLM has made this announcement:

KLM to operate flights to 162 destinations this winter

KLM Royal Dutch Airlines has resumed operating services to almost its entire pre-Covid network (one destination excepted). Intercontinental flights will be operating at around 75% of capacity this winter compared to winter 2019.

Now that vaccinated European travelers will again be welcome in the United States starting November 8, KLM will expand capacity to various US destinations. The number of flights to Atlanta, for example, will almost double to 12 a week, and there will be 11 weekly flights to New York JFK this winter.

KLM will also serve Las Vegas and Miami this winter, both three times a week. Service to Minneapolis/St. Paul, which resumed in the summer, will also continue this winter with three weekly flights.

KLM began noticing a sharp rise in demand for travel to the Caribbean part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands this summer. That is why the airline is also expanding capacity to the Caribbean and will double the number of flights to Curaçao to 14 a week. It will also boost daily capacity on the route to Aruba and Bonaire by deploying a Boeing 777-300ER, its largest passenger aircraft. To meet anticipated demand during the Christmas holiday season, KLM is planning three additional weekly flights to these islands, bringing the total number of weekly flights to Aruba and Bonaire to ten by the end of the year.

The KLM network is also showing signs of recovery in South America, with four flights a week to San José and Liberia in Costa Rica (up from two last winter) and daily service to Panama City. Capacity on the route to Paramaribo will also increase considerably this winter, with four weekly flights (compared to one last winter due to strict travel restrictions). KLM’s longest scheduled service, nonstop from Amsterdam to Santiago de Chile, will continue this winter with three weekly flights.

This winter will see the introduction of four entirely new destinations: Mombasa, Cancún, Port of Spain and Bridgetown. The first flight to Cancún in Mexico will take off on 2 November, with five weekly flights during the Christmas holiday season. This will bring the total number of weekly KLM flights to Mexico to 12. The first (combined) flight to Port of Spain in Trinidad & Tobago and Bridgetown in Barbados took off on 16 October and will eventually operate three times a week. Scheduled service to Mombasa in Kenya is expected to commence in early December; KLM is currently in the process of obtaining the necessary flight permits from the Kenyan authorities.

KLM’s Asian network is still hampered by travel restrictions. As a result, demand for these flights lags behind those for other regions. The demand for cargo transport to and from Asia remains high, however, allowing KLM to continue serving many of its destinations this winter season.

Europe

In Europe, KLM is meeting the sharp rise in demand for both holiday and business travel. New destinations such as Zagreb and Poznan proved popular soon after their introduction this summer and KLM plans to continue operating these services this winter. With their addition, the number of European destinations served by KLM will in fact exceed that of winter 2019.

In many cases, the number of flights to European destinations is still slightly down on pre-Covid-19 figures. KLM is operating at about 84% of its European network capacity. Even so, the airline is once again serving Europe’s major cities, including Berlin, London, Munich and Paris, at least five times a day. This makes KLM’s winter schedule, with more flights than in the summer, attractive for the growing number of European business travelers. By increasing the number of flights in Europe, KLM will once again be able to connect many European locations through Amsterdam Schiphol, boosting the airport’s status as a global hub.

Air France and KLM Royal Dutch Airlines offer four weekly designated Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL) flights to Singapore

Air France and KLM issued this report:

As of October 21, 2021, Air France and KLM Royal Dutch Airlines will offer quarantine-free travel with designated Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL) flights to Singapore from Paris and Amsterdam.

As of October 21, 2021, Air France will offer two weekly designated VTL flights from Paris-CDG every Thursday and Saturday until October 31, 2021, and as of November 1, 2021, every Friday and Sunday.
As of November 1, 2021, KLM will offer two weekly designated VTL flights from Amsterdam every Monday and Saturday.

Through its hubs, Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport and Amsterdam-Schiphol Airport, Air France and KLM will tap into their complementary network and offer four weekly designated VTL flights and six weekly non-designated VTL flights to Singapore.

For details on VTL flight conditions, please visit Safe Travel Website

Roland Coppens, General Manager Air France KLM South East Asia and Oceania commented,

“We fully understand that people want to travel and reconnect with family and friends, and we are excited to resume leisure and business travel to Singapore. Air France and KLM have created a complementary network with four weekly designated VTL flights to Singapore, as well as six non-designated VTL flights from Paris and Amsterdam. With our extensive Air France KLM network, we are able to connect many VTL countries via our dual hubs in Paris and Amsterdam, with flexible ticket conditions.”

Air France flight schedule from Paris to Singapore

Schedule	Flight Number	Day	Departure	Arrival	Aircraft
21 October 2021 to 31 October 2021	AF208	Tuesday	21:05	15:55+1	B787
	AF256 (VTL)	Thursday Saturday
01 November 2021 to 26 March 2022	AF208	Tuesday	21:00	16:35+1
	AF256 (VTL)	Friday Sunday

Note : Flight AF256 on Tuesday 04 January 2022 will be exceptionally operated as a VTL flight

Air France flights to Singapore are operated by Boeing B787-9 with 30 seats in Business Class, 21 seats in Premium Economy and 225 seats in Economy Class.

KLM flight schedule from Amsterdam to Singapore

Schedule	Flight Number	Day	Departure	Arrival	Aircraft
21 October 2021 to 31 October 2021	KL835/KL837/KL839	Daily	21:15	15:45+1	B787/B77W
01 November 2021 to 26 March 2022	KL835/KL837/KL839	Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday	21:05	16:20+1
01 November 2021 to 26 March 2022	KL833 (VTL)	Monday Saturday	21:05	16:20+1

KLM flights to Singapore are operated by:

Boeing B777-300ER (77W) with 34 seats in World Business Class, 40 seats in Economy comfort and 334 seats in Economy Class.
Boeing B787 with 30 seats in World Business Class, 48 seats in Economy comfort and 216 seats in Economy Class.

Singapore lifts quarantine for vaccinated travelers from the Netherlands

KLM Royal Dutch Airlines made this announcement:

The Singaporean government has added the Netherlands to the so-called Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL). This means that fully vaccinated travelers who fly to Singapore on a VTL flight will no longer have to undergo quarantine locally. Effective November 1, 2021 KLM will offer two VTL flights per week to Singapore.

Travelers from VTL countries must also show a negative COVID-19 test result that is no older than 48 hours before departure. For other requirements, please refer to the Singapore government website.

Transferring

Travelers from VTL countries other than the Netherlands can transfer in Amsterdam to the two VTL flights to Singapore and beyond provided they meet the VTL requirements. Dutch travelers can also transfer in Singapore to flights within Asia, provided they meet the stipulated entry requirements of the destination.

May we present our Delft Blue miniature house no. 102: the gorgeous @Pathe Tuschinski Theatre in Amsterdam!🏠💙 pic.twitter.com/T88yG28btD

— KLM (@KLM) October 7, 2021

Flight schedule to Singapore

KLM flights from Amsterdam to Singapore are operated with either a Boeing 777-300ER or a Boeing 787. KLM’s flight schedule from Amsterdam to Singapore is as follows:

21 October 2021 to 31 October 2021	KL835/KL837/KL839	Daily	21:15	15:45+1	B787/B77W
01 November 2021 to 26 March 2022	KL835/KL837/KL839	Tu/Wed/Th/Fr	21:10	16:20+1
	KL833 (TVL flights)	Mon/Sat

KLM flight KL833/KL839 will continue as tail-end flight between Singapore and Kuala Lumpur

KLM flight KL837 will continue as a tail-end flight between Singapore and Jakarta

Top Copyright Photo: KLM Royal Dutch Airlines Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner PH-BHG (msn 38766) (100 Years) AMS (Ton Jochems). Image: 955488.

KLM aircraft slide show:

KLM prepares for countries introducing vaccination obligation

KLM Royal Dutch Airlines issued this statement:

Starting on September 14, 2021, KLM is requesting that all KLM flight personnel who are not vaccinated against COVID-19 and who cannot, therefore, meet the entry requirements set by certain countries, report their vaccination status to KLM Health Services. KLM Health Services will register this as a travel restriction, so that unvaccinated crew are not deployed to destinations with entry requirements which they cannot meet. This is in line with standard KLM procedures for crew members who have travel restrictions for personal, visa or health reasons. Managers do not have access to the reasons behind a travel restriction.

From the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, KLM worked hard to maintain its global network as much as possible. This meant that customers were able to make (necessary) journeys and cargo flights, including shipments of medical supplies and vaccines, could continue. We now want to carry on offering our customers as many destinations as possible.

In a constantly changing world, we are seeing that more and more countries are making it obligatory for aircrews to be vaccinated, or are considering such a move. Trinidad & Tobago is introducing a vaccination obligation for aircrews on 16 October. Canada and other countries have also indicated that they are considering introducing a vaccination obligation for aircrews soon. Moreover, an increasing number of the hotels where our crews stay now expect to be shown proof of vaccination.

We expect more countries to introduce a vaccination obligation in the near future, which means we will be unable to deploy unvaccinated crew to these destinations. This may also apply to routes over countries that have a vaccination obligation for aircrews. This is due to strict flight safety requirements, which demand that it is always possible for a flight to change course and land in an emergency. For the time being, KLM will do its best to deploy crew with travel restrictions on flights to destinations that do not have entry requirements. But, as the number of countries with a vaccination obligation grows, so too will the associated operational complications for KLM.

KLM will not compel its staff to receive a COVID-19 vaccination. This remains an employee’s personal choice. However, KLM does need to know which employees cannot meet certain entry requirements and who, consequently, cannot be deployed to all our destinations. Employees to whom this applies have been asked to report to KLM Health Services, who will communicate the travel restriction to the KLM planning department.

Top Copyright Photo: KLM Royal Dutch Airlines Boeing 777-306 ER PH-BVF (msn 39972) (100 Years) AMS (Ton Jochems). Image: 955059.

KLM aircraft slide show:

KLM will not fly to Miami, Orlando and Las Vegas this winter

KLM has made this announcement:

The decision by the Dutch government to designate the U.S. a very high-risk area means that vaccinated travelers from the U.S. who hold a negative test certificate or recovery certificate will also have to spend an additional ten days in quarantine in the Netherlands.

Health and fighting COVID-19 are paramount but the measures taken must be effective and proportionate. It looks like other EU member states, such as Italy, France and Belgium are not putting a triple lock on the door for travelers from the US.

The decision by the Dutch government is a big step backwards for KLM.

As a result, KLM is forced to remove the proposed new flights from Amsterdam to Orlando, Miami and Las Vegas this winter (October 31, 2021 through March 26, 2022) from its winter schedule until further notice. Travelers will be informed starting next week.