The expanded cooperation will be effective from January 1, 2014, and the two carriers will add four new routes to the current arrangement, thus increasing the total KLM – Kenya Airways joint venture to a total of six routes.

The successful cooperation between KLM and Kenya Airways dates back to 1995. In 1997, they initiated a joint venture on the Amsterdam – Nairobi route, and in 2008, expanded the joint venture with the addition to flights between JKIA and Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris, France. Currently, Kenya Airways and KLM operate a daily service between Schiphol Amsterdam Airport and the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi. The airlines jointly operate 19 weekly return flights between The Netherlands, France and Kenya.

From next year, the cooperation will be expanded through the addition of the London – Nairobi; Amsterdam –Entebbe/ Kigali route; Amsterdam – Lusaka and Harare routes; and the Amsterdam-Kilimanjaro/Dar-es-Salam route, the latter subject to regulatory approval. This will bring the total number of frequencies operated jointly by Kenya Airways and KLM to approximately 44 weekly flights with combined revenues exceeding US$500 million.

The enhanced cooperation is geared towards optimizing the longstanding relationship, with the ultimate objective of doubling the amount of frequencies between Europe and the East African continent.

The capital will, among other things, be used to purchase new aircraft, such as Boeing 787s. The airline will also purchase Embraer aircraft for shorter distances. The new aircraft are intended to achieve growth and to replace the airline’s less economical Boeing 767s. Kenya Airways will also add new destinations to its network.

With this expansion, Kenya Airways will strengthen the position of Nairobi airport, which will play an even more important role as the key hub on the African continent. Passengers will gain easier access to African destinations owing to the cooperation between KLM and Air France via their hubs Amsterdam Airport Schiphol and Paris Charles de Gaulle.
After KLM, the Kenyan government holds the second-largest share in Kenya Airways. All shareholders have a preferential right to contribute to the rights issue in the form of new shares.

Over the years, KLM has increased its number of destinations on the African continent to 15. Together with Kenya Airways, a total of 43 destinations are served between East Africa and Europe. This week also marks the 65th anniversary of the official launch of KLM’s services to South Africa.

The Angolan capital Luanda is the 71st intercontinental destination to be added to KLM’s route network. In addition, KLM will launch a thrice-weekly service to Lusaka, Zambia, on 15 May.

In addition to passengers, airfreight is important to the partnership between KLM and Kenya Airways. The two airlines are the first in the industry to offer a direct airfreight service between China and Africa. The service links China’s key industrial zone Guangdong with Nairobi, which is the “Gateway to Africa”, with flights to destinations throughout the continent.

Passengers flying with the SkyTeam global airline alliance have the option of using the “Go Africa Pass”. This is a cost-saving and flexible means to fly Kenya Airways throughout Africa. The “Go Africa Pass” is available to business and leisure travellers flying on an intercontinental round-trip ticket with one of the 15 SkyTeam member airlines or on a “Go Round the World” ticket.

KLM AirCares supported Cycling out of Poverty in 2009, on the occasion of KLM’s 90th anniversary. KLM staff and passengers donated money and Flying Blue Miles to the value of €80,000-plus. The project ‘Cycling Blue for Kenya’ set out to establish a bicycle repair shop and a centre that would train 75 Kenyans as bike mechanics. In addition, micro-credit was extended to families so that they could set up their own bike taxi business or buy a bike for their children, who had to travel more than 10 km to school. In this way, the project also contributes to the millennium objective to achieve universal basic education.

National Park De Hoge Veluwe is renowned for its white bikes, which are made available to the park’s visitors free of charge. The foundation annually disposes of one fifth of these white bicycles, passing them on to worthy causes. The foundation is pleased that its white bicycles are put to good use in Kenya. Before the bikes are sent off, they are given a full check-up by youths working for the Hoenderloo Groep, which offers 24-hour care to young people afflicted with complex behavioural syndromes. National Park De Hoge Veluwe strives to achieve maximum sustainability and social responsibility in its operations. The reutilisation of the bicycles is perfectly reflects this objective.

Cooperation between KLM and the De Hoge Veluwe National Park goes back many years. The current White Bicycle project is one of many initiatives that reflect KLM’s social side and strengthen the existing bond with the park