KLM offers more capacity, greater comfort and a renewed fleet this winter
This winter season, from 25 October to 27 March, KLM will fly to 164 destinations worldwide. Passengers will benefit from additional capacity to popular holiday destinations, the return of several routes to the winter schedule and the introduction of KLM’s first Airbus A350.
“Our passengers want to reach their destinations smoothly and feel recognised and at ease throughout their journey. That is why we are offering a wider choice of flights this winter, focusing on personal service and continuing to invest in comfort and the renewal of our fleet,” says Marjan Rintel, President and CEO of KLM.
More flights to popular destinations
This coming winter, KLM will fly to 164 destinations in 64 countries, 93 within Europe and 71 intercontinental destinations. KLM is further increasing capacity on several routes to meet passenger demand.
Minneapolis will return to the winter schedule for the first time since winter 2023, while San Diego will be served throughout the entire winter season for the first time. KLM will also operate more frequent services to Panama City, with up to ten flights a week during the peak period, while São Paulo will be served nine times a week this winter.
Capacity to Curaçao will also be increased. The popular holiday island will normally be served nine times a week. This will rise to ten weekly flights in January and February, twelve during the Christmas holidays and eleven during the spring holidays.
Within Europe, KLM is adding capacity to popular winter and city-break destinations. Both Rovaniemi and Kittilä will receive one additional weekly flight, while Florence and Basel will each be served by one additional daily flight.
Planned resumption of routes
In addition to expanding existing routes, KLM intends to resume flights to Dubai, Riyadh and Dammam from the start of the winter schedule. The exact timetable will depend on the situation in the Middle East at that time. KLM also intends to continue operating flights between Amsterdam and Tel Aviv this winter, following their resumption on 25 August.
KLM is also working to resume its route to Kigali and Entebbe. The Entebbe service was previously temporarily removed from the network following travel and entry restrictions introduced by several countries in response to the Ebola outbreak in Central Africa. Subject to the lifting of the travel and entry restrictions in force at the time, the route will operate four times a week this winter.
More choice and comfort on board
Alongside expanding its network, KLM is also enhancing the travel experience this winter. From October, Economy Class passengers on European flights will have a wider choice of food and drink with the introduction of Grand Café KLM. Meals can be pre-ordered, while passengers will also be able to choose items from the menu on board. This will enable KLM to cater more effectively to passengers’ varying needs.
Premium Comfort capacity will also increase on several intercontinental routes. As the Airbus A330 is phased out, flights to Aruba, Bonaire, Riyadh, Dammam and Miami will be operated mainly by Boeing aircraft this winter.
Cleaner, quieter and more fuel-efficient flying with a renewed fleet
The arrival of KLM’s first Airbus A350 at Schiphol will soon mark an important step in the continued renewal of its fleet. The aircraft is cleaner, quieter and more fuel-efficient than many current-generation aircraft. At the same time, the phase-out of the Airbus A330-200 will continue this winter.
The A350’s first commercial passenger flight will be to Toronto. The destination will be served twelve times a week, including five flights operated by the new Airbus A350. As more A350s join the fleet later this winter, the aircraft will also be used on services to Montreal, Kilimanjaro, Dar es Salaam, Zanzibar and Nairobi.
KLM will also continue to adjust its operations to further reduce night-time noise disturbance. Wherever possible, more latest-generation aircraft will be used and the number of landings between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m. will be reduced. As a result, passengers on some routes may encounter a different aircraft type or an adjusted departure time.