2013 Objective
- Further reduction in unit cost* and net debt

• On the Americas network capacity was reduced by 0.9% for stable traffic (-0.1%). The load factor stood at 87.4% (+0.7 points) underpinned by the Latin American network.
• The Asia network was dynamic with a rise in traffic of 5.0%. With capacity up by only 3.7%, the load factor rose by 1 point to 84.1%.
• The Africa and Middle East network saw a 0.5% rise in traffic for stable capacity. The load factor stood at 82.4% (+0.3 point).
• On the Caribbean and Indian Ocean network, capacity declined by 6.1% and traffic by 6.3%. The load factor declined by 0.2 points to 83.1%.
• On the European network capacity was reduced by 1.0% with traffic down 2.0%. The load factor declined by 0.8 points to 70.2%.

For 2012 as a whole, traffic was up by 2.1% for just a 0.6% increase in capacity, leading to a 1.2 point improvement in the load factor to 83.1%. All the networks saw an increase in load factor.

Cargo
The group continued to adjust its full-freighter capacity. In total, the reduction in capacity and traffic stood at 4.0% and 5.7% respectively. The load factor declined by 1.2 points to 66.9%. Unit revenue per available tonne kilometre (RATK) ex-currency was slightly down relative to the level of December 2011. 

For 2012 as a whole, capacity was down 3.5% for traffic down 6.3% leading to a 1.9 point reduction in the load factor to 64.5%.

Recent developments

• Air France launched a new Economy class offer on its short- and medium-haul network, with travellers being given a choice between an all-inclusive offer or a simplified offer at more attractive rates with options to add services.
• KLM reinforced its relationship with the Indonesian carrier, Garuda with a code-share agreement between Singapore and Denpasar (Bali) and an deeper maintenance partnership.
• On 5th December 2012 Air France welcomed its three millionth passenger on board one of its Airbus A380s. In Winter 2012-13 the company serves six destinations via A380: New York-JFK, Washington DC, Los Angeles, Johannesburg, Tokyo-Narita and Singapore.

• On the Americas network, capacity was reduced by 1% whilst traffic rose 1%. The load factor stood at 85.9% (+1.7 points).
• The Asia network was dynamic with a rise in both traffic and capacity of 5.4%. The load factor was stable at 82.9%.
• The Africa and Middle East network recorded a 2.1% rise in traffic while capacity was up 0.7%. The load factor gained 1.1 point to 78.1%.
• On the Caribbean and Indian Ocean network, the sharp reduction in capacity (-6.7%) exceeded the decline in traffic (-3.2%) leading to a 3.1 point rise in the load factor to 86.3%. 
• On the European network, the application of the Winter season program led to a reduction in capacity, notably on the European network and in regional bases. In total, capacity increased just by 0.3%; with traffic up by 3.5%, the load factor improved by 2.2 points to 72.3%.   

Cargo business
The group continues to adjust its full freighter program. Capacity was reduced by 5.2%, while traffic declined by 5.4%. The load factor was virtually stable at 68.1% (-0.2 points). Unit revenue per available tonne kilometer (RATK) ex-currency was stable compared with November 2011.

Recent developments

• Air France-KLM continues to develop its long-haul network: since 29th October, KLM operates three weekly flights, serviced by Airbus A330-200 to Harare, the capital of Zimbabwe. Air France announced its intention to reinforce the Tokyo route with the launch of an additional daily flight to Tokyo-Haneda as of Summer 2014, when new slots will be allocated for intercontinental flights.
• Air France inaugurated ZEPHYR, a new reactor test-bench at Paris-Charles de Gaulle. With an investment of 43 million euros, this new installation will allow the testing of 300 engines per annum, offering an optimum service to clients both in terms of process and cost.
• SkyTeam exceeded the level of 1,000 destinations served by its member airlines in 187 countries following the integration of the Chinese carrier, Xiamen Airlines, 19th member of the alliance. This company strengthens the number one position occupied by SkyTeam in Greater China by adding three new hubs - Xiamen, Fuzhou and Hangzhou – combined with a dense domestic network and a rapidly developing international reach.

• The Americas network, and particularly North America, performed satisfactorily in spite of hurricane Sandy. Capacity was reduced by 3.4% and traffic by 3.3%. The load factor was stable at 88.8% (+0.1%).  
• The Asia network recorded a 1.4% decline in traffic for capacity up 1.0%. The load factor declined by 2.1 points to 85.2%.
• The Africa and Middle East network recorded stable traffic (+0.2%) for capacity up 0.8%. The load factor declined by 0.5 points to 79.8%. 
•  On the Caribbean and Indian Ocean network, traffic was down 8.9% for capacity reduced by 6.4%. The load factor declined 2.2 points to 80.7%.
•  On the European network traffic rose by 1.7% for capacity up 3.8% on the back of the effect of the regional bases. The load factor declined by 1.5 points to 74.2%.

Cargo business
The group continued to adjust its full-freighter schedule. In consequence, traffic (-6.7%) declined less than capacity (-7.1%). The load factor improved slightly to 66.6% (+0.3 points). Unit revenue per available tonne kilometre (RATK) declined relative to October 2011.

Recent developments

• Air France-KLM continues to develop its long-haul network, with three new routes for the Summer 2013 program: Paris-Minneapolis (United States), Paris-Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) and Amsterdam-Fukuoka (Japan).
• As of 28th October 2012, Air France, KLM and Etihad Airways have extended the choice of schedules and destinations available to their customers with the signature of a code-sharing agreement. In addition to the Paris-Charles de Gaulle-Abu Dhabi and Amsterdam-Abu Dhabi routes, this agreement gives access to five new destinations for Air France to KLM passengers in Asia and Australia, as well as 10 European destinations to Etihad passengers on flights operated by Air France and KLM.
• As of 1st October 2012, Air France customers at Paris-Charles de Gaulle benefit from a simplified transit within the airport’s most modern infrastructures. The international activity is henceforth centered at Terminal 2E, while terminal 2F is exclusively dedicated to the European (Schengen) flights of Air France and its SkyTeam alliance partners. Finally, the regional airlines (Brit Air, Regional, Airlinair) now operate out of 2G

(*) At the right side of this page you can download in PDF format the complete overview

The group realised a satisfactory third quarter across all its businesses with the exception of cargo. In passenger, the limited capacity increase in the industry led to an improvement in unit revenues, which, for the group, were also helped by a positive foreign exchange effect due to the depreciation of the euro versus other currencies. On the other hand, the cargo business continued to deteriorate over the quarter. As previously indicated, measures undertaken in the context of the plan Transform 2015 are starting to have a significant impact on costs.

(!) on the right side of this page you can download the complete overview of the Financial Year 2012 - Quarter July-September 2012 document (PDF).

• On the Americas network, capacity was up 0.7%, with a 1.5% rise in traffic and a load factor up 0.8 points to 91.0%. 
• The Asia network recorded a 1.1% rise in traffic for capacity up by 1.7%. The load factor declined by 0.6 points to 88.3%.
• The Africa and Middle East network recorded declines in traffic and capacity of 1.9% and 2.7% respectively. The load factor, at 83.5%, was up by 0.7 points.
• On the Caribbean and Indian Ocean network, traffic was down 3.3% and capacity by 3.7%. The load factor gained 0.3 points to 76.9%.
• The European network saw a 3.0% rise in traffic for capacity up by 3.9% under the effect of the provincial bases. The load factor declined by 0.7 points to 77.5%.
   

Cargo business
The group continued to adjust its full-freighter schedule, leading to a 4.5% reduction in capacity. Traffic declined by 6.6%, with a 1.4 point deterioration in the load factor to 63.2%. Unit revenue per available ton kilometer (RATK) ex-currency was lower than in September 2011.

Recent developments

• The group announced its Winter 2012-13 schedule, effective on 28th October. In line with the Transform 2015 plan, the group has opted to stabilize capacity relative to Winter 2011-12, with a 0.5% increase on long haul and a 0.5% reduction on medium-haul. This minimal rise on long-haul reflects a reduction in capacity to North America and the Middle East and a slight increase to Asia and Africa. 
• Air France confirmed it will invest several hundred million euros to reposition its product and services at the highest level within the industry. On its medium-haul network, the company will introduce a new catering offer in Business and Premium Economy during the upcoming Winter season. In world premiere, the company will deploy, during 2013, a complimentary digital press service. This innovation will allow all passengers to upload daily press on their tablets and smartphones before boarding their flight. Finally as from 2014, the La Première and Business cabins on board the Company’s Boeing 777 aircraft will be progressively redesigned.
• The Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI), the main international index evaluating companies on their performance in terms of sustainable development, has once again ranked Air France-KLM air transport leader for the year 2012, for the 8th year running. Thanks to its performance, the group is also leader of the broader ‘Transport and leisure’ sector. This distinction ranks the 19 most responsible companies in the world, each in their own sector of activity.

Apart from these new destinations, KLM will focus on adjusting capacity to seasonal fluctuations in demand and on strengthening and, where possible, expanding its cooperation with partners.

Europe – Expansion in North-Western Europe
KLM will continue to focus on North-Western Europe, as it did this summer, increasing the number of daily flights to Luxembourg, to Kristiansand and Stavanger in Norway, and Nuremberg in Germany. Furthermore, KLM took over the Lyon-Amsterdam route from Air France in September 2012, while Air France took over the Marseille-Amsterdam route from KLM.

In Eastern Europe, KLM will pursue its successful Joint Venture with Ukraine International, initiated this summer, raising frequency to Kiev from one to two daily flights this winter.

KLM will increase frequency between Amsterdam and Prague from three to four daily flights.

North America – Consolidation With Partners
Together with Delta Air Lines, partner in the Transatlantic Joint Venture, KLM will consolidate its position in the transatlantic market. Owing to fluctuating seasonal demand and soaring fuel prices, KLM will not serve Miami this winter. In addition, service to Dallas-Fort Worth will be suspended until the summer, as was the case last winter.

Capacity between Amsterdam and Atlanta, Delta Air Lines’ largest hub, will increase substantially this winter, with frequency rising from 14 to 19 weekly flights, operated by KLM and Delta. Service to Delta’s other hubs will also be maintained to ensure maximum connectivity with the US market. Minneapolis will be served twice daily, and Detroit thrice daily. Together, KLM and Delta will offer customers a total of 26 flights per week between Amsterdam and New York, with three daily flights to John F. Kennedy Airport and five weekly flights to Newark.

In Western Canada/Alberta, capacity to Calgary will be increased from four to five flights a week. Together with partner WestJet, KLM will gain further access to the entire Canadian market, adding its code to 10 new destinations here, bringing the total from 15 to 25 cities.

Central and South America – Deploying a More Efficient Fleet
On various routes to Central and South America, the MD-11 will be replaced with more fuel-efficient aircraft. The daily service between Amsterdam and Panama will, from the start of the winter schedule, be operated with a Boeing 777 instead of an MD-11.

On flights to and from the Dutch Caribbean, the Airbus A330 will for the first time replace the MD-11, operating alongside the Boeing 747. KLM will operate 13 roundtrips a week to this region, with extra flights before and after the Christmas holidays.

KLM will operate direct, service to Havana this winter three times a week, as was the case this summer.
In South America, KLM will replace its MD-11 with a Boeing 747 on flights between Amsterdam and Paramaribo. In addition to the usual three weekly frequencies, KLM will operate a fourth weekly flight in December and January to meet higher seasonal demand.

The flight frequency to Ecuador will be further increased to five a week, up from three last winter.
The number of weekly frequencies to Rio de Janeiro will be increased to four. In cooperation with Brazilian partner Gol, KLM will offer service to numerous Brazilian and South American destinations via Rio de Janeiro.
Capacity to Lima will be increased by deploying a Boeing 777-300 three times per week – KLM’s largest aircraft type, with 425 seats – on the daily service to the Peruvian capital.

Africa – Balanced Growth With More Destinations
KLM’s African network has grown substantially in the past year. In addition to the new destinations Luanda and Lusaka, KLM will launch service to Harare this winter, serving the Zimbabwean capital thrice weekly, in combination with the Zambian capital, Lusaka.

Frequency to other destinations will be adjusted in accordance with fluctuating seasonal demand. One less flight will be operated on the Entebbe-Kigali route this winter, while two extra weekly flights, departing in the afternoon, will be operated to Kilimanjaro, in addition to the daily flights to this destination, which is served in combination with Dar es Salaam.

Depending on market demand, frequency to Cairo will be increased gradually. This winter, KLM will operate four weekly B777-200 flights to the Egyptian capital.

Cooperation with Kenya Airways remains of great importance to KLM’s position in Africa. The twice-daily Kenya Airways/KLM service to Nairobi is an important feeder maintaining the network of secondary destinations in Kenya and East Africa.

KLM will operate daily service to Cape Town as it did last winter.

Middle East – Pursue Existing Strategy
Last summer, KLM made extensive network changes in the Middle East. Frequency to Dammam and Doha was increased from five to six flights a week, while frequency to Dubai was reduced to daily service. KLM will pursue its existing strategy in the region this winter. To meet the relatively high demand in winter, however, frequency to Dubai will be increased from seven to ten weekly flights from December through March.

The structure of the circle service to Abu Dhabi and Bahrein will be altered. As of this winter, KLM will operate direct service between Amsterdam and Abu Dhabi five times a week, with a tail-end leg between Abu Dhabi and Bahrein.

Asia – Capacity Adjusted to Seasonal Demand
This winter, KLM will adjust its Asian network in accordance with seasonal and regional fluctuations in demand.
Frequency to Shanghai will be reduced from 12 to 10 weekly flights. Frequency to Tokyo will also be gradually reduced to seven weekly frequencies in mid-winter, returning to nine in March.

KLM’s partner China Southern Airlines will, in close cooperation with KLM, increase frequency between Amsterdam and Guangzhou to a daily service this winter.

In Southeast Asia, KLM will increase capacity by operating thrice weekly direct service to Kuala Lumpur in the early afternoon, supplementing the daily flights to Kuala Lumpur and Jakarta that depart in the evening. That means the Malaysian capital will be served 10 times a week this winter.

The new service schedule for Bangkok and Taipei/Manila, introduced this summer, will be continued this winter. That means both Bangkok and Taipei will be served directly every day, while Manila will be served daily via Taipei.
KLM will increase its flight frequency to Denpasar (Bali) to daily, with an intermediate stop in Singapore.

Fleet
KLM will continue to invest in cleaner, more efficient aircraft to assure customers of optimum service. The medium-range fleet will be adjusted by phasing out the last three Fokker 100s at the start of the winter season. The long-range fleet will welcome a new Boeing 777-300 and the phase-out of the MD-11 will continue.
For further information, please contact KLM Media Relations at +31 (0)20 649 4545.

*expressed in ASK

Passenger business
In August 2012, traffic rose by 0.6% for capacity up by 0.6%. The load factor therefore remained stable at 85.7% (-0.1 point). The number of passengers amounted to 6.94 million (+1.4%). Unit revenue per available seat kilometer (RASK) ex-currency increased relative to August 2011.

• Traffic on the Americas network was stable (-0.0%), with a slight rise in capacity (+0.8%); the load factor declined by 0.7 points to 88.8%. 
• The Asia network recorded a 2.9% rise in traffic for capacity up by 3.5%. The load factor declined by 0.5 points to 88.9%.
• The Africa and Middle East network saw declines in both traffic and capacity of 2.0% and 3.6% respectively.  The load factor of 84.8% represented a rise of 1.4 points.
• On the Caribbean and Indian Ocean network traffic declined by 5.1% for capacity down by 5.0%. The load factor remained stable at 84.3%.
• Traffic on the European network rose by 4.2% for capacity up by 3.4% under the effect of the provincial bases. The load factor gained 0.6 points to 78.7%.  

Cargo business
The group has adjusted its full-freighter flight schedule, leading to a 5.2% reduction in capacity. Traffic was down 7.8%, leading to a 1.7 point decline in the load factor to 60.6%. Unit revenue per available ton kilometer (RATK) ex-currency was lower than in August 2011.

Recent developments

• KLM announced the opening of a route to Harare (Zimbabwe) as of 29th October 2012, with three weekly flights operated by Airbus A330. This new route further reinforces the group’s presence in Africa, where three other routes have been opened in 2012: Amsterdam-Luanda (Angola), Paris-Abuja (Nigeria) and Amsterdam-Lusaka (Zambia).
• Aerolineas Argentinas joined the SkyTeam Alliance on 29th August 2012. This first Latin American member of the alliance adds 40 new destinations to the SkyTeam network. Following the entry in 2011 and 2012 of China Eastern, China Airlines, Saudia, Middle-East Airlines and Aerolineas Argentinas, the majority of SkyTeam’s 18 members are now based in high growth markets.

• 5.2% rise in revenues to 12.1 billion euros
• Fuel bill up 469 million euros
• Reduction in net debt close to 300 million euros

TRANSFORM 2015 PLAN

• Roll out in line with initial calendar
• First significant effects in the Second Half

• On the Americas network, traffic and capacity declined by 1.8% and 2.6% respectively. The load factor stood at 86.7% (+0.7 points).
• The Asia network, which was affected in 2011 by the impact of the Japanese tsunami, saw a 4.3% increase in traffic for capacity up by 3.4%. The load factor improved by 0.7 points to 81.9%.
• The Africa and Middle East network recorded a 1.8% drop in traffic, considerably lower than the reduction in capacity of 6.8%. The load factor gained 3.9 points to 75.2%.
• On the Caribbean and Indian Ocean network, traffic was down by 8.0% for capacity down by 11.1%. As a result, the load factor gained 2.7 points to 80.9%.
• The European network saw a rise in traffic of 2.6% for capacity up by 3.2%. The load factor declined slightly to 74.2% (-0.4 points).

Cargo business
The cargo business recorded an 8.8% drop in traffic for capacity reduced by 3.9%. The load factor declined by 3.4 points to 64.3%. Unit revenue per available ton kilometer (RATK) ex-currency decreased relative to May 2011.

Recent developments

• The group is pursuing its expansion in Africa: On 15th May, KLM launched three weekly flights to Lusaka (Zambia) operated by an Airbus A330, and Air France launched on 4th June a daily flight to Abuja (Nigeria), also operated by an Airbus A330.
• Saudia joined SkyTeam, taking the number of members to 16. Saudia is the first SkyTeam member based in the Middle East, and represents a solid base for the alliance in this region.
• Air France launched a daily flight to Los Angeles, operated by an Airbus A380, the third US destination to be served by this aircraft after New York and Washington. Air France flies to Los Angeles from Paris-Charles de Gaulle with two daily flights by Airbus A380 and Boeing B777.

Activity in March benefited from a favourable comparison basis due to the Japanese tsunami and the political crisis in Ivory Coast last year.

Passenger business
Passenger activity in March 2012 recorded a 6.8% rise in traffic for capacity up by 1.8%. The load factor improved by 3.8 points to 82.5%. The number of passengers rose 6.3% to 6.37 millions. Unit revenue per available seat kilometer (RASK) ex-currency improved in a context of a sharp rise in the fuel price.

• On the Americas network, traffic was up 9.7% and capacity by 2.5%, leading to a 5.8 point gain in load factor to the high level of 88.2%.
• Asia network comparatives benefited from the impact on last year’s data of the Japanese tsunami, and recorded a 6.0% rise in traffic for capacity up by 1.8%. The load factor improved by 3.4 points to 86.7%.
• The Africa and Middle East network saw a 9.3% rise in traffic for capacity up by 2.8%. The load factor gained 4.7 points to 78.9%.
• On the Caribbean and Indian Ocean network, traffic and capacity declined by 1.7% and 2.3% respectively. The load factor improved slightly, by 0.5 points to 84.1%.
• Traffic on the European network rose 7.2% for capacity up by 2.7%. The load factor stood at 71.9% (+3.0 points).

Cargo business
Cargo recorded a 3.4% drop in traffic for capacity down by 0.6%. The load factor declined by 2.0 points to 69.2%. Unit revenue per available ton kilometer (RATK) ex-currency was stable relative to March 2011.

Recent developments

• Air France continues its commercial drive from Nice and Toulouse, having inaugurated on 1st and 3rd April, 18 new routes to Europe and the Mediterranean Basin. The target is to transport, in one year, two million additional passengers from its three bases, Marseille, Toulouse and Nice.
• Air France unveiled, with Aéroports de Paris, an ambitious development plan for its Paris-Charles de Gaulle hub. In Summer 2012, Air France will welcome its passengers in new infrastructures, with improved connections and upgraded facilities.
• Air France and KLM launched ‘SkyPriority’ on 26th March in both the hubs of Paris-Charles de Gaulle and Amsterdam-Schiphol as well as Paris-Orly. Via a harmonized ground service throughout the world, SkyTeam premium passengers benefit from numerous advantages from the point of check-in until luggage delivery.
• Air France-KLM is pursuing the development of its offer towards Africa. KLM inaugurated on 27th March a new route to Luanda, Angola. Air France announced a daily flight to Abuja, Nigeria from June 4th 2012.
• Air France deployed the Airbus A380 on the Singapore route. In Summer 2012, seven destinations will be served by Air France with an A380: New York JFK, Washington DC, Los Angeles, Montreal, Johannesburg, Tokyo-Narita et Singapore.

February activity was affected by strike action at Air France. Elsewhere, the extra day relative to February 2011 represented an additional 3.5% of activity.

Passenger businessFebruary 2012 passenger activity posted a 6.2% increase in traffic for capacity up by 2.5%, leading to a 2.8 point improvement in load factor to 80.5%. Passenger numbers stood at 5.34 million (+5.0%). Unit revenue per available seat kilometre (RASK) was up, but was not sufficient to offset the increase in the fuel bill.

• On the Americas network, traffic increased by 13.1% and capacity by 4.8%, leading to a 6.1 point gain in the load factor to 84.5%. While the increase in capacity was primarily linked to the Latin American network, the increase in traffic occurred on both the North and Latin American networks.
• The Asia network posted a traffic increase in line with that of capacity (+1.6% and +1.9% respectively), with the load factor virtually unchanged at 84.3% (-0.3 point).
• The Africa and Middle East network saw a 6.9% increase in traffic with capacity up by 3.1% thanks to the dynamic Africa network. As a result, the load factor gained 2.7 points to 77.2%.
• On the Caribbean and Indian Ocean network, traffic rose by 1.1% for a 0.6% reduction in capacity, the load factor gaining 1.4 points to 87.2%.
• The European network, most affected by the strike action, recorded a traffic increase of 4.9% for capacity up by 1.2%. The load factor stood at 69.1%, up 2.4 points.

Cargo business
Cargo recorded a 5.1% fall in traffic for a very limited increase in capacity (+0.8%), leading to a 4.0 points decline in load factor to 63.7%. Unit revenue per available tonne kilometre ex-currency (RATK) was down relative to February 2011 on the back of the decline in volumes, but unit revenue per revenue ton-kilometre held up well.

Recent developments

• Air France-KLM announced its Summer 2012 Schedule with capacity growth limited to 0.6%, of which +0.8% in long haul and -0.2 % in medium haul excluding the provincial bases. Including the launch of the Marseille, Toulouse and Nice bases, where the Group’s medium-haul business will see a 3.0% increase, total capacity will increase to 1.4%.
• KLM and Kenya Airways will shortly launch a twice-weekly joint cargo service between Nairobi and the Guangdong industrial zone in China. They are the first carriers to offer a non-stop cargo service between Africa and China.
• Air France is pursuing the development of its Marseille base with the launch of a twice-weekly non-stop service to Berlin, increasing the number of destinations served on departure from Marseille this summer to 34.

• On the Americas network the 3.8% increase in capacity was mainly driven by Latin America, with North America having recorded a capacity reduction. Traffic rose on both networks, (+8.3%). The load factor therefore gained 3.7 points.
• The timing of Chinese New Year in January this year, as well as the ongoing effects of last year’s disaster in Japan saw a 2.3% decline in both traffic and capacity on the Asia network. The load factor remained stable at 85.3%.
• The Africa and Middle East network saw a 2.1% increase in traffic with capacity down 2.8%. The load factor therefore gained 3.9 points to 80.5%. The Africa network continues to recover, while the Middle East remains affected by political instability.
• On the Caribbean and Indian Ocean network, traffic rose 0.5% with capacity down by 0.5%. The load factor gained 0.9 points to 85.5%.
• The European network saw traffic up 8.1% for capacity up by 2.3%. The load factor stood at 68.2% (+3.6 points).

Cargo business
Cargo recorded a sharp drop in traffic (-10.3%) linked to the weak economy and the timing of CNY. A 6.0% reduction in capacity limited the decline in load factor to 3 points at 61.4%. Unit revenues ex-currency were down on January 2011.

Recent developments

• Air France has continued to invest in its Business class cabin to offer its customers the best of French lifestyle. In this way, Air France is continuing to enhance its in-flight menu, with dishes designed by top chef Joël Robuchon, as well as its cabin interior with the introduction of a new "full-sleep" seat. 
• Air France now partners BlueNext, the world’s leading environmental trading exchange for CO2 emissions.  
• KLM has announced the resumption of four weekly non-stop flights between Amsterdam and Quito. Flights previously stopped off in Bonaire. 
• KLM launched a new service, 'Meet & Seat' allowing passengers to choose who they sit next to via Facebook and Linkedin.

KLM is continuing the flight schedule structure that was introduced with the last summer season. The connections between European and intercontinental flights have been improved so passengers have more choice. Thanks to this flight schedule structure, called Seven Wave New Balance, KLM is able to expand its South American and Asian destinations. It also provides the flexibility to be able to respond adequately to political and economic developments in North Africa, among others.

Europe: KLM continues to expand flight frequencies
KLM continues to raise its frequencies in Europe which started in the summer. Compared to the previous winter season KLM has added 15 regular flights a day. Eight of these are in Great Britain, Denmark, Norway and Sweden, in order to enhance the traditionally strong position of KLM in these areas. The Amsterdam-Aalborg route, which was successfully started in the summer, is being continued.

 
KLM is expanding strongly in Switzerland with an extra service to Zürich and Geneva, and by taking over two daily flights to Basel/Mulhouse from CityJet, a subsidiary of Air France. In Germany, KLM is expanding the number of flights to Frankfurt and Berlin. In Eastern Europe KLM is expanding with an extra flight to Prague, by intensifying collaborations with partner companies (Aeroflot, Bulgaria Air, Belavia, Georgian Airways and Olympic Air) and by using bigger aircraft for flights to Budapest, Bucharest, Warsaw and Moscow.

 
North America: optimisation of Joint Venture
Together with Delta Air Lines, partner in the transatlantic joint venture, KLM will adapt the capacity to meet the seasonal demand and deal with the industry-wide overcapacity in the transatlantic market. In this context the service to Dallas-Fort Worth will be suspended until the summer.

 
This coming winter season a non-stop flight to Miami, which is an important Florida destination for the Dutch market, will be offered four times a week. For Houston the second daily flight in the full Business Class configuration will be replaced by a KLM Airbus 330-200 service, which means KLM is increasing the connectivity for the Houston market in the Economy Class segment. For Vancouver an Airbus 330-200 is used. In codeshare with its partner WestJet, KLM is offering 12 new destinations in Canada.

 
The major hubs of Delta Air Lines in the United States continue to be served as usual in order to guarantee maximum connectivity with the American market: there are two daily flights to Atlanta, two to Minneapolis and three to Detroit. Together with Delta Air Lines, KLM is offering 26 flights a week to New York, including three a day to John F. Kennedy and five a week to Newark.

 
South America: important growth market
South America is an important growth market for KLM. KLM is strongly increasing its range of flights for both tourists and business travellers, as well as improving its flight schedules.

 
Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) and Buenos Aires (Argentina) have been added to the network as new destinations. There are three direct flights to these metropolises each week, using a Boeing 777-200. This is KLM's return to these destinations after a temporary absence. The capacity to São Paulo is further increased by the use of a Boeing 777-300 on a number of days. In codeshare with partners Gol and Aerolineas Argentinas, a large number of secondary destinations in South America are being offered via São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Buenos Aires. In order to reduce the flight time for travellers and increase the efficiency of the operations, flights to and from Quito/Guayaquil will be direct this winter season, without stopovers in Bonaire.

 
Central America: significant increase in capacity
KLM is expanding its capacity in the Caribbean. Havana (Cuba) and Punta Cana (Dominican Republic) have been added as new destinations, which increases the number of destinations in the Caribbean to six. There are a total of three flights a week to Havana, of which two are combined with Punta Cana.

 
Flights to the Dutch Antilles remain as popular as ever. The number of frequencies is therefore being increased: Curacao is changing from seven to nine, Aruba from three to five and Bonaire from six to seven times a week.

KLM is changing to a daily service for Panama. In addition, the onward connections to destinations in Central America in conjunction with partner company Copa Airlines have been further improved by reducing the connection times. This confirms the successful collaboration with Copa Airlines once again.

 
Africa: reinforcing the position
The oil destination in Angola, Luanda, is being added to the KLM network. Luanda will be serviced twice a week with a Boeing 777-200. In addition, KLM is increasing the number of regular flights to Cape Town from five to seven times a week in order to satisfy the seasonal demand.

 
This winter season KLM is maintaining the frequency level in Africa for destinations like Kigali, Entebbe, Lagos, Accra and Johannesburg and, with joint-venture partner Kenya Airways, is offering a large number of secondary destinations via Nairobi.

Because of the unstable political situation in North Africa the capacity to Tripoli and Cairo has been adjusted. KLM will continue to service Cairo on a daily basis with a 737-700. Operations to Tripoli will be resumed as soon as circumstances permit.

 
Middle East: selective expansion
KLM aims to stabilise and selectively expand its network in the Middle East. For example, the number of regular flights to Damman and Doha are being increased from five to six a week and the capacity to Teheran is expanded with the use of a 777-200. For both the tourist and the business market the service to Dubai remains attractive by maintaining a morning and afternoon schedule.

Asia: increasing the market position
This winter KLM is consolidating its strong position in China. In addition to daily flights to Beijing, Hong Kong and Shanghai (12 times a week), KLM will also fly to Chengdu, Hangzhou and Xiamen three times a week this winter. For Chengdu this means a frequency increase from twice to three times a week compared to the last winter season. A service to Xiamen was started the past summer season and will be continued. KLM partner China Southern Airlines is continuing flights between Amsterdam and Guangzhou (three times a week) this winter in close cooperation with KLM.

For Japan KLM is adapting its capacity to the seasonal demand. KLM has reduced the number of flights to Tokyo from 10 to 7 a week, while an extra service has been added to Osaka. As a result KLM can offer a daily flight to both destinations.

In Southeast Asia KLM is increasing services to its successful destination Denpasar (Bali, Indonesia) from four to five times a week, with a stopover in Singapore. 

In conjunction with Delta Air Lines the capacity to Mumbai (India) will be increased this winter season with the use of an Airbus 330-300.

 
Fleet
KLM continues to invest in clean and efficient aircraft in order to guarantee its customers optimal service. After this winter the complete medium-distance fleet will consist of a new generation of Boeing 737 aircraft. Two new Airbus 330-300s will be added to the long-haul fleet.