To commemorate this inaugural flight the fossilised bones of a Mosasaur that was unearthed in Angola are aboard. The skeleton was treated and a mould was made in Maastricht, the Netherlands. The original bones will now return to the place where this carnivorous sea reptile once lived, 65 million years ago.

KLM and Air France will jointly devote special attention to Africa this summer. In addition to Luanda, KLM will also begin operating flights to the Zambian capital Lusaka in May. With the launch of services to Luanda, KLM consolidates its position in Africa. The KLM and Air France hubs now offer even more connections to Luanda, with four weekly services from Paris and Amsterdam to the Angolan capital.

“This region is of great importance in KLM’s sprawling global network. Together with Air France, we hold a strong position in the fast-growing economies of this continent. Together with our partner Kenya Airways, we offer 89 flights a week between Europe and Africa, offering travellers a network that is as seamless as possible,” says Pieter Bootsma, executive vice president of Marketing, Revenue Management & Netwerk.

Luanda will be served twice weekly with an Airbus A330-200 that can accommodate 243 passengers; 30 in World Business Class, 178 in Economy Class, and 35 in Economy Comfort.

From 27 March 2012, flight KL581 will depart from Schiphol on Tuesdays and Fridays at 21.20 hrs, arriving in Luanda at 05.00 hrs the next day. The return flight, KL582, departs from Luanda on Wednesdays and Sundays at 19.00 hrs, arriving in Amsterdam at 04.45 hrs the next day.

Kenya Airways serves 45 African destinations in 36 countries, including Lagos (Nigeria), Accra (Ghana), Johannesburg (South Africa), Luanda (Angola), Dar es Salaam (Tanzania), Lusaka (Zambia), Kinshasa (Democratic Republic of Congo) and Cairo (Egypt).