On Monday October 7th, Netherlands official carrier, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines reached its 100th year of offering flights services globally.
The occasion marks the second centenary this year following British Airways’ 100th birthday back in August.
Origins
Obviously, KLM’s roots stretch back to around 100 years ago. Several parties were interested in establishing an airline following a 1919 aviation exhibition in Amsterdam. In September of that year, Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands granted the proposed airline the title of “Royal”.
The airline was officially founded 100 years ago on the 7th of October 1919, by eight Dutch businessmen. However, it was to be a little while longer before KLM took to the skies…
First flight
The first flight of a KLM aircraft did not occur until over half a year later in 1920. KLM carried two journalists and newspapers from London to Amsterdam on the 17th of May, marking its first flight. This was achieved using a British registered aircraft leased from British Airways’ predecessor, Air Transport And Travel.
Compared to modern standards, KLM’s first-year statistics would be fairly unimpressive. However, considering that KLM was one of the first airlines, using much smaller planes than today, its statistics aren’t bad. In its first year, the airline carried 440 passengers accompanied by 22 tonnes of air freight.
Impressive growth
In the past 100 years, KLM has grown from a small carrier to a well-recognized global airline. From its blue livery to iconic photos of the Boeing 747 landing in St Marteen, KLM’s brand is known around the world.
Today KLM operates a fleet of 120 aircraft. While not the largest fleet by any means, it is still not small. The airline is currently in the process of retiring its Boeing 747 aircraft. Earlier this year we saw one aircraft become a hotel centrepiece.
The future
KLM is currently preparing to enter a new phase of operations. The airline is currently in the process of retiring its iconic Boeing 747 aircraft. Meanwhile, the carrier is welcoming several new Boeing 787s. While KLM had also been due to introduce the Airbus A350 to its fleet, a swap with sister airline Air France saw KLM scrap the aircraft type from its plans.
Meanwhile, KLM is currently working with TU Delft on plans to develop a ‘’Flying V’’ aircraft for the future. The proposed V design is said to be 20% more fuel efficiency than an Airbus A350. KLM signed an agreement with TU Delft to work together developing the aircraft. The airline will contribute to TU Delft’s research into the Flying-V.
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