A major economic impact for national economies 

The study's findings highlight the major role played by the Air France-KLM Group in the economic dynamics of France – Air France's home country – and the Netherlands – KLM's home country. While in fiscal year 2023, the Air France-KLM Group generated a net income of 0.9 billion euros, its total economic impact is estimated at 48.9 billion euros in France and 21.9 billion euros in the Netherlands (or 723 euros per year per inhabitant in France and 1,228 euros per year per inhabitant in the Netherlands). The study concludes that for every euro invested, the Air France-KLM group generates 3.6 euros in the French economy, and 3.4 euros in the Dutch economy. 

These economic benefits take the form of direct investment, direct and indirect job creation, and spending with local suppliers and service providers. 

A driving force for employment in France and the Netherlands 

In addition to its economic and financial impact, the Air France-KLM Group also contributes significantly to the creation of skilled jobs that cannot be relocated. In 2022 and 2023, respectively, the various entities of the Air France-KLM Group recruited 4,000 and 5,000 permanent staff, namely pilots, flight attendants and mechanics. This dynamic will continue in 2024, particularly for pilots and aircraft maintenance activities. The Group is also particularly active in supporting access to employment for young people, through work-study programs and support for associations that promote inclusion. 

The impact study estimated that 552,570 jobs in France and 267,996 jobs in the Netherlands depended on Air France-KLM's activity, equivalent to the population of Lyon in France and Eindhoven in the Netherlands. These numbers include direct jobs (employees working directly for the Air France-KLM Group – around 46,000 in France and 26,000 in the Netherlands); indirect jobs (in related sectors such as suppliers, subcontractors, and service providers); as well as jobs induced by the Group's activity, for example in tourism. These jobs support the local economies of France and the Netherlands. 

Furthermore, the study highlights that each direct job created by the Group generates 11 additional jobs in France. In the Netherlands, the impact is also very positive: for every job created by the Group, 9.2 additional jobs are created in the Dutch economy. 

In France, shared benefits across all regions 

The socio-economic impact study shows that Air France-KLM's activity benefits all French regions, without exception. 

By way of example, in addition to strong air transport activity, the Occitanie region benefits from significant direct injections related to Air France-KLM’s purchasing of aircraft and aeronautical spare parts from Airbus, its subcontractors and service providers. Since 2018, Air France-KLM has ordered over 230 aircraft from Airbus, most of which are assembled in the Toulouse region. Air France also has a maintenance site in Toulouse. 

In the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté and Grand Est regions, Air France-KLM's contribution can be seen in its support for the wine industry, through purchases of wines, champagnes and spirits served on board Air France. In 2023, over 2.4 million bottles of wine and 1.3 million bottles of champagne were served on board Air France flights. 

The Île-de-France region remains the main beneficiary of the Group's impact. Thanks to the Paris-Charles de Gaulle hub and Paris-Orly airport, as well as the location of Air France’s and Transavia France’s headquarters, the Air France-KLM Group is a natural socio-economic catalyst for the Île-de-France region. Long the region's leading private sector employer, the Group contributes 3.2% of Île-de-France’s total GDP, for a total economic impact of nearly 25 billion euros. Representing 50% of the traffic at Paris-Charles de Gaulle and Paris-Orly airports, the Air France-KLM Group is a driving force behind the region's connectivity and national and international appeal, supporting all links across the local economy, industry, and tourism. 

In the Netherlands, a global hub supporting all sectors of the economy

Air France-KLM’s contribution to the Dutch economy mainly takes the form of connecting the country to the world. KLM has built one of the world’s most effective transit hub at Amsterdam-Schiphol Airport, connecting the Dutch capital to 160 destinations, far exceeding the natural potential of its home market. 

This makes the Netherlands one of the best-connected economic centres in the world, creating a favorable business climate for international organizations and corporations to establish or maintain their headquarters. 

Air France-KLM’s operations in the Netherlands also support Dutch exports, from flowers to medicines, notably via the Group’s cargo division, Air France-KLM Martinair Cargo. 

For more details, see Air France-KLM Group: a major socio-economic contributor to France and the Netherlands - nos engagements (foleon.com)

Note on methodology: 

The data in the impact study reflect the assessment of the socio-economic benefits of the Air France-KLM Group’s activity, which distinguishes four types of economic impact: 

- Direct impacts, including the remuneration of Air France-KLM Group staff working in their home region, as well as the Group's consumption of goods and services.

- Indirect impacts, resulting from the Air France-KLM group's activities, notably spending by passengers traveling on Group aircraft, as well as the economic activity of airports associated with the Group's activities. 

- Induced impacts, which are determined by the spending of the beneficiaries of direct and indirect impacts, including public bodies that benefit from tax revenue induced by the Air France-KLM group's activity. 

- Catalytic impacts, which represent the attractiveness of a given region for businesses, thanks to the Air France-KLM group's air traffic to the area. 

KLM had to cancel flights in the fourth quarter due to limited runway capacity at Schiphol, caused by bad weather, and due to reduced fleet deployability. Rebooking and compensating customers, and hiring additional aircraft, increased costs. Geopolitical tensions also persisted, which meant that KLM continued to bypass Russian airspace. This led to a need for more pilots in the cockpit on some Asian flights. At Cargo, supply exceeded demand in the fourth quarter, which also put pressure on results.

These factors led to an operating loss of EUR 18 million in the fourth quarter, compared to an operating loss of EUR 2 million in 2022. Revenues in the fourth quarter amounted to EUR 3 billion, compared to EUR 2.8 billion in 2022.

More contented passengers
Thanks to the tremendous efforts of all KLM employees, customer satisfaction expressed in the net promoter score (NPS) rose from 37 to 39 in 2023. KLM carried 30.3 million passengers to their destinations in 2023. Transavia welcomed 8.9 million passengers aboard its flights and took delivery of its first Airbus A321neo in December. This innovative aircraft type will contribute to achieving the sustainability goals of the entire KLM Group.

At Engineering & Maintenance (E&M), hundreds of new employees were recruited to address staff shortages and we will continue hiring in 2024. Revenues continued to recover at E&M in 2023.

At Cargo, revenues have returned to pre-Covid levels, but they are coming under pressure due to the slowdown in global trade.

KES, a wholly-owned KLM subsidiary, handles the maintenance, fleet management and refuelling/recharging of vehicles and equipment required for ground handling at Schiphol. KES is also owner of the ground power units (GPUs) used by airlines to supply aircraft with electricity on the ground at Schiphol.

KES employs around 100 people, who will retain their current terms and conditions of employment. KES’s refuelling activities will be transferred to KLM Ground Services, meaning eight KES employees will transfer to KLM.

TCR International NV is a Belgium-based company, which earns annual revenue of around EUR 250 million and employs more than 1,500 people. It has a global presence in the GSE market, focusing on equipment maintenance, leasing and pooling services. TCR has a branch in the Netherlands (TCR NL), which already provides KLM with maintenance and leasing services. TCR has the means and scale to invest in the development of KES. KLM will remain a KES customer.

No further details will be released regarding the purchase price.

From left to right: Patrice de Hemptinne, General Counsel TCR, Erik de Harder, Director Benelux/Nordics TCR, Erik Swelheim, CFO KLM, Roeland Pompen, Director Holdings M&A KLM, Bruno Vanpoucke, Commercial Director TCR, Tom Bellekens, CEO TCR, Andrea van Sleen, KLM Legal, John de Hollander, VP Finance KLM Ground Services

Stable, predictable operations are vital for customers and employees, who understandably expect this from us. We now have scarcely three months to make the necessary arrangements instead of the usual six. KLM will obviously do everything possible to operate the number of flights it has been allocated.

KLM welcomed 8.4 million passengers on board during the third quarter, which includes the summer holiday season. Similarly, Transavia carried around 2.9 million travellers. 

9M figures 

Operational profits amounted to €668 million for the first nine months of the year against a turnover of €9.058 billion. During the same period in 2022, operational profits amounted to €708 million (including €138 million under the governmental emergency job-retention scheme – NOW) against a turnover of €7.921 billion.  

Cargo demand dropped following its peak during the pandemic. Engineering & Maintenance is still experiencing worldwide supply chain problems, but is performing in line with expectations. Transavia performed very well during summer, serving to offset losses caused by fleet problems earlier this year. 

By contrast, the minister is opting for unnecessary reductions rather than actual improvements. We find it inconceivable that the minister plans to tear down what KLM has helped build over almost 104 years.

We do everything we can to make flying cleaner, quieter and more efficient. We carry that responsibility on a day-to-day basis. Drastically cutting the number of flight movements at Schiphol isn’t necessary to reduce noise levels. We demonstrated this in the “cleaner, quieter and more efficient” plan submitted to the minister on 15 June. The plan was verified externally by the independent Netherlands Aerospace Centre (NLR). By acquiring new, quieter aircraft, introducing smarter operational processes and by – as far as possible – deploying the quietest aircraft at night, our plan will achieve the night-time targets immediately and, after only three years, will deliver even more to local residents throughout the day and night. Innovation in the airline industry will enable us to fly cleaner, quieter and more efficient aircraft worldwide.

When planning the number of flights, KLM closely considers fleet and workforce availability. This ensures stable operations and greater customer satisfaction, as confirmed by our Net Promotor Score (NPS) of 42 for the first six months of the year. We achieved this score despite delays and cancellations resulting from Storm Poly and a temporary malfunction of the baggage system at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol. We are working hard to ensure that our customers experience as little inconvenience as possible due to such incidents.

Cargo, E&M and Transavia
Cargo revenue dropped sharply during the first six months, following record figures during the coronavirus pandemic. There was a decline in average prices as well as volume. Nevertheless, Cargo still made a positive contribution to our results.

Engineering & Maintenance has been affected by global component supply issues. However, the recovery that began last year continued during the first six months of the year.

At Transavia, a number of incidents as well as delayed deployment of additional leased aircraft meant that fewer flights than planned were operated in the first six months of 2023. These last-minute cancellations were very disappointing for Transavia’s customers. Fortunately, most passengers could be rebooked onto other flights. Despite these setbacks, Transavia generated 15% more revenue.

Results for Q2 2023
During the second quarter of 2023, the KLM Group generated revenue to the sum of EUR 3.1 billion (2022: EUR 2.8 billion) and earned operating profit to the sum of EUR 257 million (2022: EUR 262 million). During this period, KLM arranged a commercial credit facility with 14 international banks and could therefore end government support.

KLM recorded an operating loss of €128 million in the first quarter of 2023 compared to the €3 million operating profit in the first quarter of 2022, when it received €140 million under the Dutch government's emergency job-retention scheme (NOW).

Capacity management was KLM’s top priority at the start of new year. We adjusted the number of flights to the number of employees available both at Schiphol Airport and internally. Further complications included delays in component deliveries and the reduced operational deployability of the Embraer E2. As a result, total capacity (for both intercontinental and European flights) dropped to about 88% of capacity in 2019.

We welcomed a total of 7.8 million passengers in the first quarter, 6.3 million at KLM and 1.5 million at Transavia. Transavia's results were impacted by the cap on the number of passengers boarding locally at Schiphol Airport. Cargo faced slightly weaker demand than in the first quarter of last year, leading to a drop in revenue from cargo transported on both passenger flights and freighters. Engineering & Maintenance continued to be troubled by supply chain issues, resulting in delays in the delivery of components.

In 2020, KLM withdrew €942 million of the available €3.4 billion. This amount could be repaid in full as early as in June 2022 thanks to rapidly recovering passenger demand.

Today, KLM announced that it has closed the remaining direct loan and credit facility, guaranteed up to 90% by the Dutch government. This means that the conditions governing the financial support package no longer apply. KLM reiterates that achieving greater sustainability, while remaining healthy and competitive still serve as key objectives.

KLM has opened a €1 billion revolving credit facility with a syndicate of banks to replace the financial support package. The credit facility is linked to ESG objectives regarding sustainability and social responsibility. ABN AMRO, ING and Rabobank coordinated the group of banks and Crédit Agricole did so for the sustainability targets. Once the ESG targets have been met, the interest margin will be reduced.

Michiel van der Eijk joined KLM in 1995, where he has held a range of positions. He is currently Managing Director of the Regional Jet Center, which is an independent subsidiary within the KLM Group. His extensive experience in the management of complex logistical processes, innovation and technology make him a worthy successor to Jan de Vegt at KCS.

New and existing shareholders are participating in the rights issue. The Dutch State also announced it intends to buy shares to maintain its current 9.3% stake at the same level. Parliamentary approval is still required for this.

 For more information please see the press release of Air France-KLM: www.airfranceklm.com/en/press-releases/air-france-klm-launches-rights-issue-be-subscribed-cash-andor-offsetting-claims

KLM received its last contribution of €140 million under the emergency job-retention scheme (NOW) in the first quarter (previous year: €321 million), which contributed to the positive results.

Only €942 million was withdrawn from the loan package of €3.4 billion in 2020. And, as was also the case for 2021 as a whole, nothing was withdrawn in the first quarter of 2022. The repayment in the second quarter is €311 million, which reduces the outstanding debt of this loan package from €942 million to €631 million. If recovery continues, KLM may make further repayments later this year.

Improvements in all business areas

The first quarter of this fiscal year showed a mixed picture. Our customers are keen to travel again and are now able to, and this is reflected in the results. In total, we welcomed 4.8 million passengers on board, compared to 1.4 million in the first quarter of 2021. The upward trend in bookings continued despite the conflict in Ukraine and the closure of Russian airspace, forcing flights to and from South Korea, China and Japan to make a detour.

Once again, Cargo performance was excellent in the first quarter. Transavia also performed well, benefiting from the further relaxation of entry restrictions affecting holiday destinations. Engineering & Maintenance (E&M) showed a strong improvement in first-quarter turnover.

At the same time, key markets in Asia are still closed to international travellers. Additionally, the global airline industry is facing rising costs and scarcity in the labour market, which are putting pressure on operations. This also applies to KLM.

Operation under pressure despite commitment of KLM staff

Operations were already under pressure in the first quarter of 2022 due to numerous operational changes and scarcity in the labour market. This did not lead to any major disruptions. However, with steadily increasing passenger numbers and the situation at Schiphol in terms of capacity shortages in many places, the past few weeks have been very difficult for operations. Many thanks for all the efforts of KLM colleagues and sincere apologies to our customers who were inconvenienced.

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%.

Our successful focus on cost control and our network strategy, to keep serving as many destinations as possible, compensated somewhat for the negative financial results of our passenger business.

We welcomed 3.7 million passengers in the first six months of 2021. That is a lot lower than the 6.7 million passengers we carried in the first half of 2020, although it bears mentioning that business remained relatively normal for the first two months of 2020, after which operations shut down almost entirely.

The maintenance division has also experienced the impact of delayed recovery, with revenues from third-party contracts down 49% to EUR 225 million. Our cargo business was strong once more, with revenues up 57% to EUR 974 million.

Adjusted travel measures in Europe positive for customers
Recovery was delayed and did not take place as anticipated, only materialising in the first half of 2021, with the coronavirus pandemic coming in waves, accompanied by strict travel restrictions, including compulsory tests for transfer passengers in the Netherlands. This caused uncertainty among customers with regard to booking. Moreover, the strict entry restrictions imposed by many Asian countries and the restrictions on Europeans travelling to the United States remain in force.

It is positive that the Dutch government will change its policy on travel within Europe effective 8 August. This offers our Dutch customers greater certainty and ensures that travel options are less dependent on changes in the number of infections.

The need for harmonisation of travel regulations within Europe remains essential. Our customers need clarity and predictability.

The crisis at KLM has offered fertile ground for innovation, as exemplified by our Upload@Home service, which enables customers to check their coronavirus-related documentation ahead of departure to a growing array of destinations.

For the Netherlands, the connection with the rest of the world via Schiphol is of strategic importance. That is why, in 2020, the Dutch State supported KLM with a loan of EUR 1.0 billion and EUR 2.4 billion in guarantees on credit facilities, linked to major conditions. KLM is grateful to the Dutch government for its support.

In time, KLM will also need capital. For that purpose the Dutch State is in talks with Brussels, Air France-KLM, KLM and other stakeholders. As long as these discussions are ongoing, KLM will not comment on the progress of these talks.

Prospects for the airline industry – and KLM in particular – are uncertain. Different countries are now beginning to tighten their more relaxed travel restrictions. This is making customers more cautious when it comes to booking a ticket. In all scenarios, demand is only expected to recover by 2023 or 2024 at the earliest. The degree and speed of recovery will depend on a number of factors including the development of the virus, economic recovery and customer travel behaviour.

Adjusting to the new reality

Government support in the form of a direct state loan and guaranteed bank credit facilities amounting to a maximum of €3.4 billion will enable KLM to navigate the crisis in the forthcoming period. KLM is extremely grateful for this support provided by means of the loan. In order to guarantee KLM’s existence in the longer term, the airline must adapt its size to the new reality. KLM therefore finds itself compelled to reduce its workforce down to the number needed for the planned operation in 2021/2022. Of the current total of 33,000 FTEs in the entire KLM Group, the workforce must be reduced by 4,500 to 5,000 FTEs to 28,000 FTEs in the course of 2021.

KLM’s size is already becoming smaller – and will continue to be reduced – based on the current measures, which include the non-renewal of temporary contracts (1,500 FTEs) and the Voluntarily Departure Scheme (2,000 FTEs). Additionally, natural attrition (500 FTEs) through retirement and the like in 2020 and 2021 will also contribute to the reduction needed.

Hence, despite the measures already taken, even fewer people will be needed at KLM in the years ahead. Additionally, for positions on the ground we also need to deal with some mismatch in functional skills and capabilities.

Unfortunately, for this reason and taking into account the mismatch, alternative solutions will have to be found for ca. 1,500 positions. This relates to up to 500 ground positions, 300 cabin crew positions and 300 cockpit positions and approximately 400 positions at KLM subsidiaries and Air France-KLM group functions.

Given the high level of uncertainty, KLM keeps open the possibility of further reductions in case the production levels will be revised further down for 2021/2022 than the -20% planned now.

Trade unions and Works Council

KLM’s reorganisation plans tie in with organisation-wide changes at Air France KLM. In the forthcoming period, KLM will be cooperating closely with the trade unions to draft a social plan for each collective labour agreement domain and subsidiary, as well as maintaining close consultation with the Works Council about further defining the reorganisation. This will include a more detailed specification of the conditions set by the Dutch government on issuing the financing package. Expectations are that this will be finished in its entirety in the course of October.

Passenger numbers fell by 95% in the second quarter of 2020, from over 9 million to less than half a million. Operating income amounted to a loss of €493 million. During the same period in 2019, we earned €270 million in profit.

The figures for the first half-year reflect a marginally more favourable picture, because KLM performed well in January and February before the outbreak of the COVID-19 virus. Nonetheless, KLM’s turnover almost halved to a figure of €2.8 billion in the first six months of 2020 in comparison with the same period in 2019.

Operating income amounted to a loss of €768 million for the first half-year, compared to a profit of €223 million for the same period in 2019. A decline of almost €1 billion.

Capacity fell by more than 50%, coupled with a decline in passenger numbers of more than 60% to a figure of 8.1 million for the KLM Group as whole. Of this figure, KLM transported 6.7 million passengers and Transavia 1.4 million. Cargo performed relatively well: cargo volume amounted to 229,550 tonnes, representing a 22.3% decline. Despite reduced (belly) capacity, flights to a range of destinations only carried cargo instead of passengers. Cargo was also carried in the cabins of passenger aircraft.

The Air France-KLM press release can be found here.

In comparison with March 2019, passenger load factor fell by 22% points against a drop in traffic of -49% (expressed in revenue passenger kilometres or RPKs) and a -32% reduction in seat capacity (expressed in available seat kilometres or ASKs). At -61.3%, the fall in passenger numbers was the most significant for destinations in Asia, followed by a -57.4% dip for destinations in Europe and North Africa. Cargo load factor fell by 0.2% points. This resulted from a combination of a -24.5% capacity reduction and a -24.7% decline in cargo traffic. The capacity reduction can be largely attributed to the drop in belly capacity due to flight cancellations.

KLM started the summer schedule on 1 April operating around 10% of its flights in comparison with the figures for last year. All operations have been suspended for Transavia. In the forthcoming period, an assessment will take place to determine the network’s further development based on circumstances as they unfold.

Passenger traffic also rose at Transavia by 1.8% revenue seat kilometres (RSKs) which, combined with a less pronounced increase in capacity of 0.4% ASKs, resulted in a passenger load factor of 92.4%. This is a great achievement and 1.3 %^pts higher than November 2018.

Cargo booked a lower load factor, due to a 2.0% decline in revenue tonne-kilometres (RTKs) and a capacity increase of 1.2% available tonne-kilometres (ATKs). This continues the trend seen over the last few months.

82 million users

LINE is a social media platform. It offers voice, video, and chat communication between users, domestically, internationally, and across telecommunication providers. LINE has 82 million active users in its Japanese home market. Most users are from 15 to 34 years old.

KLM on social media

KLM has been a pioneer in social media services and campaigns since 2009. We have more than 28 million friends and followers on a variety of social media. Through these channels, KLM receives more than 180,000 messages a week, 35,000 of which are questions or comments. The world’s largest social media team, consisting of 360 service staff, respond to the messages personally. KLM offers 24/7 customers support on WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Twitter, WeChat, KakaoTalk and LINE in Dutch, English, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, French, Chinese, Japanese, and Korean. KLM was the world’s first airline to offer its customers flight documents and status updates via WhatsApp, Messenger, and Twitter. What’s more, it was the first western airline to use the Chinese social media channel WeChat.

Any questions or looking for more information about KLM on social media? Discover all KLM’s social services on social.klm.com.

Five Dutch companies Ahold Delhaize, ING, KLM, NS and Philips aim to further boost the AI ecosystem in the Netherlands by accelerating and promoting the development of AI technology and nurturing AI talent in the country. This effort will add educational capacity, foster the development of the AI community in the Netherlands and reiterate the position of the Netherlands as a competitive and relevant global AI hub.

Joint initiative

The goal of Kickstart AI, is to bridge the AI gap between the Netherlands and other countries, like the UK, the US and China, that have made notable progress in this area. In order to keep the country’s position as a pioneer and inventor of technologies, the Dutch government, companies, organizations and universities have ground to cover in terms of structural investments and availability of global AI talent. The five companies “kickstarting” AI are, for the first time, uniting forces in this kind of joint initiative and taking highly needed decisive action.

Improve daily lives

The five companies initiating Kickstart AI are calling for the critical expansion of local knowledge and talent in order to ethically implement AI that is focused not only on what is technically possible but also meeting the ethical and social standards the Dutch society may expect. Collaboration among these five companies, the government, industry and other tech providers will help address societal challenges, provide new opportunities for the youth and accelerate the introduction of AI in the Netherlands. For consumers, AI has untapped potential to help improve their daily lives by elevating their experience with personalized service, convenience and choices in many areas of life such as food, travel, health and finances.

Initiatives under Kickstart AI include:

1. AI superchallenges: Competitions aimed at raising the Netherlands’ global profile by mobilizing global AI talent to address societal challenges for example in the areas of health and mobility.
2. Joint appointments: Investing in private-public collaboration through joint appointments of academic staff, providing access for the next generation of AI talent to education, training and leading academics. First commitment is to create 5 joint appointments to academic institutions in the Netherlands by each of the frontrunner companies in Kickstart AI, adding up to 25 positions in total.
3. Dutch national course for AI: As part of a wider effort to increase understanding and adoption of AI in the Netherlands, Kickstart AI companies will not only promote the national course for AI among the general public and their own workforces, but also offer the course in English, therewith aiming to secure sign-ups from a total of 170,000 people in the Netherlands by the end of 2020.

Urgency

Introducing Kickstart AI at the World Summit AI today, Maarten de Rijke, Professor at the University of Amsterdam and Director of the Innovation Center for Artificial Intelligence, said: “The Netherlands has always been a technology pioneer, a frontrunner in AI development and innovation. The quality of our AI specialists is well-acknowledged worldwide. However, without a national AI strategy and swift action, the severe shortage of AI talent in our country remains one of the biggest roadblocks to realizing the full potential of AI talent and technology. The joint efforts between universities and companies, as part of Kickstart AI, underlines the urgency in accelerating AI education and talent retention and signals our commitment to collaboration and investments needed to accelerate AI innovation in the Netherlands.”

Game-changing potential

Ahold Delhaize, ING, KLM, NS and Philips are connected to the daily lives of millions of people through food, travel, health and finances. As organizations that are close to the lives of everyday Dutch society, they fully understand the game-changing potential for AI to improve everyday life in the Netherlands. This is why they have joined together in a call for action to their business and industry peers, to boost collaboration in creating a thriving AI ecosystem in the Netherlands for the benefit of end-consumers’ daily lives. The Strategic Action Plan AI (SAPAI) and the Netherlands’ AI Coalition, also announced this week, are complementary steps in the same direction and designed to collectively sustain the growth and competitiveness of the Dutch economy.

KLM’s 100^th Delftware miniature

In keeping with tradition, today KLM marked its anniversary with the presentation of a new Delftware miniature house; a moment eagerly awaited by faithful collectors all over the world. This year’s miniature is a replica of Huis ten Bosch Palace in The Hague, the home of King Willem-Alexander and his family. Today the first copy of KLM’s 100^th Delftware miniature house was presented to Finance Minister Wopke Hoestra by KLM President & CEO Pieter Elbers.

Huis ten Bosch Palace was built in the mid-17^th century at the behest of Prince Frederik Hendrik of Orange and his wife Amalia van Solms. It was extended in the first half of the 18^th century by Prince Willem IV. After Willem I was crowned King of the Netherlands in 1815, the palace was regularly home to members of the Dutch royal family. Since January 2019, Huis ten Bosch Palace has been the residence of King Willem-Alexander, Queen Máxima and their three daughters. The palace also serves as a ceremonial venue.

Since the 1950s, KLM has presented specially designed Delftware miniature houses to World Business Class passengers on intercontinental flights. The houses are replicas of monumental buildings throughout the Netherlands. The number of houses in the collection has kept pace with KLM’s anniversary since 1994, with new miniatures added to the collection on or around KLM’s anniversary on 7 October.

KLM book

KLM will also mark its centenary with a special book titled Welcome Aboard – 100 years of KLM Royal Dutch Airlines. The first copy was presented by KLM’s current Board of Managing Directors, Pieter Elbers, René de Groot and Erik Swelheim, to three former KLM presidents, Pieter Bouw, Leo van Wijk and Peter Hartman.

KLM festivities everywhere

Today, KLM staff worldwide shared special treats in honour of our 100^th anniversary. There was cake and a special message from Pieter Elbers. In addition, all KLM staff will receive the coveted 100^th KLM Delftware miniature house and have been invited to attend the “KLM Experience”. Over the past weekend, KLM staff in their thousands were immersed in 100 years of KLM history. Many thousands more will gather this weekend, to undergo an unforgettable experience, featuring a wide array of events, shows, and activities.

Throughout the years, KLM has brought the wonder of air travel to generations. The new film tells the story of three generations of the same family who worked with KLM from the early days to the present, serving and caring for passengers. The first two featured women are inspired to fly and become flight attendants. However, the film closes with the granddaughter of the original woman, who ends up in the cockpit, taking off, as captain of KLM’s newest airplane, the Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner.

Recreating history

The film tracks KLM’s evolution from 1919 to the present day and features classic airplanes such as the Fokker F.II in 1934, the Douglas DC-4 in 1949, Boeing 747 in 1975 and ending with the brand-new Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner. All brought to life with the authentic uniforms, props and details from each decade.

The picture-perfect period detail was created by using some of the original airplanes, building historically accurate sets and by blending archive footage with cutting edge film techniques. The film is conceived and created by KLM’s creative partner, DDB Unlimited. The team at DDB Unlimited worked closely with historians working at the KLM Heritage Centre to ensure historical accuracy - paying minute attention to detail.

There are countless real examples of entire families who have worked with KLM, careers spanning multiple generations. [DDB/KLM: add line with names of the families, links to photos, social posts with family stories]

Fly Responsibly

One of the other ways that KLM is marking its centenary is by looking to the future. Earlier this year, the airline recently launched a global call to action on sustainable travel under the name ‘Fly Responsibly’. KLM has stepped forward to ask the aviation industry as a whole to join forces to create a more sustainable future for aviation.

You can watch the Brand Movie here

Passengers who wish to make use of the KLM Bus can book their air ticket from Enschede, Hengelo or Apeldoorn to one of the 165 destinations served by KLM. Their air ticket will also be valid aboard the KLM Bus. This service is already available for travellers heading to and from Schiphol out of Maastricht, Eindhoven, Nijmegen, Arnhem and the surrounding areas.

Schedule

The free bus service is available seven days a week, twice daily on the Enschede-Hengelo-Apeldoorn-Schiphol line. The buses are clearly recognisable in the familiar KLM livery, which also features the KLM100 logo, marking KLM’s centenary on 7 October this year. The bus will pick up passengers at the main station in all three cities, bringing them to Departure Hall 2 at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol. The bus is also suitable for passengers with disabilities or restricted mobility, and young children can make the trip without a special seat. You will find the timetable here: KLM.nl/busservice. All services are operated by Munckhof.

Sustainable and comfortable

The KLM Bus service is free of charge and will be powered with advanced GoodFuels biofuel from 10 July, which is made from 100% certified waste and rest materials. This means it has no negative impact on food production, land use and deforestation. By using the climate neutral KLM Bus, passengers save themselves the cost of a train ticket or petrol for their car, as well as the additional cost of parking at the airport. There is also free Wi-Fi aboard the bus, as well as coffee, tea, water and KLM’s Holland Herald magazine to make the trip complete. If the bus is delayed on route, KLM will rebook passengers to alternative transport free of charge.

KLM Bus timetable

Passengers have 20 minutes to board the KLM Bus at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol and Enschede. At the intermediate stops in Apeldoorn and Hengelo, passengers will have several minutes to get on or off the bus.

Innovative leader

The Dutch pioneering spirit that is so characteristic of KLM is reflected in our use of innovative technology, such as voice-activated systems. The technology itself is not of prime importance, but rather the extent to which it makes life easier for our passengers before, during and after their flight. By experimenting with the possibilities, KLM aims to remain an innovative leader offering the very best passenger experience.

KLM previously launched a travel guide on Google Home, which helps people find a suitable holiday destination. Also a departure planner is available that lets users know when it is time to head off to the airport. Customers can furthermore use Google Home to find and book flights, and to get customised advice on what they should pack, based on their KLM destination, the duration of their trip and local weather forecasts.

KLM on social media

KLM has been a pioneer in social media services and campaigns since 2009. We have more than 28 million friends and followers on a variety of social media. Through these channels, KLM receives more than 180,000 messages a week, 35,000 of which are questions or comments. The world’s largest social media team, consisting of 360 service staff, respond to the messages personally. KLM offers customers support 24/7 on WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Twitter, WeChat, and KakaoTalk in Dutch, English, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, French, Chinese, Japanese, and Korean. KLM was the world’s first airline to offer its customers flight documents and status updates via WhatsApp, Messenger, and Twitter. What’s more, it was the first western airline to use the Chinese social media channel WeChat.

Any questions or looking for more information about KLM on social media? Discover all KLM’s social services on social.klm.com.

Pieter Elbers - KLM President & CEO

The Randstad Award is presented annually to the most attractive employer in the Netherlands. More than 17,000 Dutch, between the ages of 18 and 65, were given a choice of 471 Dutch companies. The research asked employed and unemployed people to judge employers on points that included: primary and secondary terms of employment, career prospects, job security, and atmosphere at work.

Aart Slagt, executive vice president HR & Industrial Relations KLM: “I am extremely proud to receive this award and I accept it on behalf of all my colleagues at this wonderful company. We are able to stay in the lead of the international airline industry by making the most of everyone's individual capacities. And that's what makes the difference in our industry. We are extremely lucky to have such fantastic ambassadors."

Marjolein ten Hoonte – director Employment Market and CSR Randstad Group and Aart Slagt - executive vice president HR & Industrial Relations KLM

TripAdvisor Award Best Business Class – Europe and Travellers’ Choice Major Airline – Europe

KLM also received two TripAdvisor Awards today. TripAdvisor is the largest travel review website in the world with more than 661 million reviews, including airlines. KLM won the TripAdvisor Award Best Business Class - Europe and the award Travellers’ Choice Major Airline – Europe. Both prizes resulted from all the reviews of KLM that millions of travellers left on the TripAdvisor website.

Pieter Groeneveld, senior vice president Digital: “This is a wonderful acknowledgement of our service, which we are continually improving to ensure our passengers have a 'memorable experience'. We are delighted with this award."

Left to right: Olaf Stokman, director Customer Experience KLM, Bryan Saltzburg, president Flights & Crews TripAdvisor, Pieter Groeneveld, senior vice president Digital

(*) The joint Air France KLM Traffic results February are available in the download box of this message.

The joint Air France KLM Traffic Results of January 2018 are available in the download box in this message.

At KLM Cargo, traffic fell by 0.6% over 2017, against a 0.2% decline in capacity. This caused the load factor to drop 0.3%^pts. However, a positive trend has been seen in recent months and a degree of recovery in the cargo market.

The joint Air France KLM Traffic Results of december 2017 are available in the download box in this message.