Amstelveen,
26
March
2015
|
07:06
Europe/Amsterdam
KLM Continues to Expand its Chinese Partnerships
Summary
KLM Royal Dutch Airlines is intensifying its partnership with China Southern Airlines and Xiamen Airlines. A special agreement cementing the partnership was signed in Shanghai today in the presence of Wilma Mansveld (Dutch Minister for Infrastructure and the Environment), between KLM CEO Pieter Elbers, Mr. Che Shanglun, Chairman & CEO Xiamen Airlines and Ren Jidong Executive Vice President of China Southern Airlines. The ceremony took place during the trade mission led by Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte.
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KLM has invested in its relations with China for many years. The addition of Xiamen Airlines to our partnerships will further strengthen our position in China.We know Xiamen Airlines to be highly reliable and well-organised with an outstanding product.
Pieter Elbers, KLM President & CEO
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Effective 26 July, 2015, KLM’s joint venture with China Southern Airlines will expand with the addition of another Skyteam member in Greater China-Xiamen Airlines. From this date, Xiamen Airlines will operate three roundtrips a week between Xiamen and Amsterdam, in addition to the thrice weekly service currently operated by KLM. This brings the number of return flights KLM and Xiamen Airlines operate together on this route to six.
Years of cooperation KLM and China
KLM and China Southern Airlines have worked together on the Amsterdam-Beijing route since 1996. Their cooperation has since steadily evolved into a strategic partnership. Now KLM serves routes between Amsterdam and mainland China (Chengdu, Hangzhou, Xiamen and together with China Southern Airlines Guangzhou) with a codeshare agreement in 2001 and a Joint Venture Agreement in 2006. KLM is proud of its partnership with China Southern Airlines, which makes Amsterdam an important gateway to China from Europe and for Chinese passengers visiting Europe and the rest of the world.
KLM and China Southern Airlines together offer eight non-stop services between Amsterdam and destinations in Greater China, with 57 frequencies a week, and per 26 July 2015 with the addition of Xiamen Airlines 60 frequencies a week. Together Air France and KLM operate nine destinations in Greater-China with 88 frequencies weekly.
Code sharing
KLM and Xiamen Airlines are both members of SkyTeam. The Xiamen Airlines’ flights will be codeshare operated with KLM. KLM and Xiamen Airlines currently have a one-sided codeshare agreement to six destinations in China. Due to the increase in the number of flights between Amsterdam and Xiamen, KLM and Xiamen Airlines will expand their codeshare partnership in China and Europe to 15 destinations. The airlines will also codeshare on the Amsterdam-Xiamen route.
About Xiamen Airlines
Xiamen Airlines is established on 25 July, 1984 and owned by China Southern Airlines (51%), Xiamen Construction and Development Group (34%), and Jizhong Energy Group (15%). Headquartered in Xiamen Gaoqi International Airport (XMN), Xiamen Airlines also operates another six bases in Beijing, Fuzhou, Hangzhou, ChangSha, Nanchang and Tianjin. Xiamen Airlines (IATA designator MF) is one of a few airlines operating an all Boeing fleet. Xiamen Airlines operates a total of 116 aircraft, including a mainline of ninety Boeing 737-800 and three brand new Boeing 787-8, with an average airplane service age of 5.3 years. With a network covering Greater China, Japan, Korea and Southeast Asia, Xiamen Airlines operates to 56 domestic destinations and 13 destinations in Asia Pacific.