New York
In 1946, KLM started with a daily flight to New York. In cooperation with our partner Delta Air Lines, KLM now operates four flights a day between Amsterdam and John F. Kennedy Airport. On this route, KLM and Delta Airlines each operate two flights a day. In addition, Delta operates daily service between Amsterdam and Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR). Each year, KLM brings around 400,000 passengers to “New Amsterdam”, making it KLM’s top North-Atlantic destination. Together, KLM and Delta carry more than 750.000 passengers each year.

Our successful partnership with Delta Air Lines offers passengers an extensive network, ensuring swift and easy transfers to their chosen destinations. KLM recently added a new North American destination to its network: Salt Lake City, which is one of Delta’s five hubs. Via this hub, KLM offers its passengers seamless connections to more than 50 North American cities. From October 2016, KLM will also begin to offer service to Miami. The investment in new destinations ties in with KLM’s new network strategy. On the North American route KLM and Delta have 20 destinations in summer and 21 in winter: 15 in the United States, one in Mexico and five in Canada. For the first time in history more than 5.5 million passengers will travel between Amsterdam and North America with KLM and Delta.

New Messenger service
In addition to its new network strategy, KLM continues to innovate. KLM and Facebook Messenger recently took another step in the social media arena. With effect from 13 March, KLM passengers have been able to receive their booking and check-in confirmation, boarding cards and flight status reports via Facebook Messenger. In the first month alone, KLM passengers used the new Messenger service no less than 115,000 times.

Anniversary offer
To mark the 70^th anniversary of KLM’s service between Amsterdam and New York, our social media channels will today feature a video in which historical images of the 1946 flight are interwoven with modern-day footage. And travellers can book tickets from Amsterdam to the Big Apple for a special fare of EUR 470 (for departure between 28 May and 16 June 2016).

• Book your special fare
• You can read the booklet “Boterballentijd” here
• You can also read KLM’s blog about New York:

First stone of KLM’s new lounge at Schiphol
Also on 7 October, a special guest will join Camiel Eurlings and Jos Nijhuis, CEO of the Schiphol Group, in laying the first stone of the new KLM World Business Class Lounge for intercontinental passengers at Schiphol.

By developing this new lounge, KLM fulfils the wishes of its passengers, who want comfort, rest, relaxation and entertainment. These requirements will be met in separate areas, each with their own unique atmosphere and furnishings, reflecting KLM’s “Journey of Inspiration” concept. Dutch Design is a key element of the lounge’s look and feel. The new design was developed in cooperation with the Amsterdam architectural agency Concrete, which also designed the W Hotel in London, the Citizen M Hotels, and the Supper Clubs. The new lounge will open in 2016.

Presentation of KLM’s 95^th Delftware miniature
KLM has the tradition of presenting a new Delftware miniature house on its anniversary each year. These little houses are an exclusive gift for World Business Class passengers and have become a popular collector’s item. The 95^th miniature will be festively presented at a surprising and spectacular event in Amsterdam on 7 October.

KLM celebrates
Following the Dutch tradition you treat others when it’s your birthday. This is why KLM comes with three amazing deals on October 7 and with even more birthday offers during the days afterwards. From 6 untill u/i 11 October the new KLM brand commercial can be seen on TV.

KLM’s Dutch roots are also a central theme in the From Holland Festival. In October and November, passengers on all flights originating in Amsterdam can enjoy products and articles with a Dutch touch.

The starters, main courses and desserts served in World Business Class were created by the successful chef Mario Ridder of the two-star restaurant De Zwethheul in Schipluiden near Delft. Aside from wines grown in the Netherlands or created abroad, passengers will also have the chance to sample a variety of Dutch snacks such as kroketten, poffertjes and cheese cubes. The Economy Class menu includes meatballs with mashed potatoes, white beans and French beans. Dutch films will also be available on the inflight entertainment system.

And, during the first month, all passengers can send home a picture postcard designed by the Dutch duo BLOND. KLM will send the cards with the help of PostNL.

“KLM is once again proud to be working with one of the Netherlands’ most successful chefs. Mario Ridder is the latest in a series of great chefs to create meals for KLM; other names include Sergio Herman and Jonnie Boer,” said Erik Varwijk, Executive Vice President KLM Commercial.

Signed an agreement with China Eastern to formally begin the process
of adding one of China’s leading airlines as a SkyTeam member, and
Renewed its membership program, thereby making Air Europa, Kenya
Airways and TAROM full members of the alliance.

From its founding in 2000 by Aeroméxico, Air France, Delta Air Lines and Korean Air, SkyTeam has grown to 13 members in 2010, including the recent addition of Vietnam Airlines and this Friday’s planned addition of Romanian carrier TAROM. SkyTeam carriers today offer more than 13,000 daily flights to 898 destinations in 169 countries, up from 6,402 daily flights to 451 destinations in 98 countries at its inception.

Deepened cooperation

“During the last 10 years, SkyTeam’s experience with ground breaking mergers and joint ventures has deepened the cooperation among our members, giving our customers access to more markets at lower fares,” said SkyTeam Governing Board Chairman Leo van Wijk. “As we look back at SkyTeam’s steady growth of members, all are focusing on creating global coverage by linking complementary networks, flying from a few of the best hubs in Europe, the US, Asia and Africa. Today we offer our customers more destinations, more frequencies and more and better connectivity.”

“As deregulation and Open Skies agreements opened opportunities for more effective business alignment, SkyTeam emerged as a way for airlines to offer customers more connections across the globe through alliances rather than complex intercontinental mergers. And our growth will continue.”

Growth in Asia

During the Governing Board meeting, China Eastern signed an Adherence Agreement with SkyTeam, formally starting its process of joining the alliance. SkyTeam’s Managing Director, Marie-Joseph Malé, outlined the value of a second Chinese member in the alliance: “Asia is a very important growth market for SkyTeam, and we are well on track to strengthen our offering in this fast-growing part of the world. With our newest member Vietnam Airlines, and China Eastern joining us in the future, we will offer our customers 10 percent more daily flights than today. Combined with China Southern and Korean Air, these four Asian carriers will further strengthen SkyTeam's presence in Asia and position us for future growth. And we still intend to add more Asian carriers to our group, thus firmly consolidating SkyTeam as THE alliance for Asia.”

Future Focus

SkyTeam is also focused on growing its presence in other regions of the world, such as Latin America, Southeast Asia and India. “Over the past decade, SkyTeam has played a vital role in extending our customers’ reach beyond the many points Delta serves,” said Richard Anderson, CEO of Delta Air Lines, and host of the SkyTeam Governing Board in New York. “This will continue as SkyTeam pursues a strategy of valuable growth by recruiting even more members that offer our customers access into new regions.”

SkyTeam’s 10-year anniversary also marks the introduction of a new membership program, to better match with the alliances’ growth ambition. The former Associate Airline program served carriers, including current partners of alliance members, who were interested in alliance benefits but did not yet meet all strategic criteria necessary to become full SkyTeam members. It allowed SkyTeam to build a broader network and provide customers with access to additional regions of the world. With a higher degree of maturity reached in alliance development and integration, SkyTeam now fully integrates all members into the alliance. With this reclassification, Air Europa, Kenya Airways and new member TAROM will now also be referred to as Member airlines. This change will reinforce the cohesion among the partner airlines. For the customer, there will be no differences.

For more information:
SkyTeam Corporate Communications:
E: media@skyteam.com
T: +31 64 33 83 664
Or contact one of the SkyTeam member airlines

About SkyTeam

SkyTeam is a global airline alliance providing customers from member airlines access to an extensive global network with more destinations, more frequencies and more connectivity. Passengers can earn and redeem Frequent Flyer Miles throughout the SkyTeam network. SkyTeam member airlines offer customers over 415 lounges worldwide. The thirteen members are: Aeroflot, Aeroméxico, Air Europa, Air France, Alitalia, China Southern, Czech Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Kenya Airways, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, Korean Air, TAROM Romanian Air Transport and Vietnam Airlines. SkyTeam offers its 395 million annual passengers a worldwide system of more than 13,000 daily flights to 898 destinations in 169 countries. SkyTeam celebrates its 10th anniversary in 2010. www.skyteam.com
 

The symposium, which was also attended by Minister Camiel Eurlings of Transport, Public Works and Water Management, was part of a day full of activities around KLM’s anniversary. In the morning, Peter Hartman received a life-size singing birthday card from Schiphol CEO Jos Nijhuis with a real live band inside. In The Hague, the oldest and youngest member of the KLM lay flowers on the monument to Albert Plesman, KLM’s first director. Lunch is held for 90 guests in the Dutch Dakota Hangar. Festivities continue this afternoon in the presence of Prof. Pieter van Vollenhoven, a member of the Dutch Royal Family, at Museum Jan van der Togt in Amstelveen.

KLM’s 90th anniversary celebrations have been modest. The anniversary year was launched on 1 January with a Celebration Flight. The passengers included 90 sick children from the High-Flyer Foundation (Stichting Hoogvliegers). Another memorable event was the official naming of the KLM tulip by CEO Peter Hartman and former top model Frederique van der Wal. In July, 90 senior citizens who had never before flown in an aeroplane were treated to a flight by KLM.

This autumn, a special KLM lorry is travelling to 30 cities throughout Europe. This ‘Tour of Inspiration’ will present all KLM’s products and services. The lorry started its journey on 18 September in Billund, Denmark, and will end it on 7 November in Munich, Germany.

KLM has also been supporting a good cause throughout this anniversary year, namely, Cycling Blue for Kenya. This is a joint project with the charity Cycling Out of Poverty. Over the next three months Cycling Blue for Kenya is a KLM AirCares project. The aim is to train people in Kenya as cycle repairers, to set up cycle repair shops there and to finance bicycles for Kenyan children who live more than ten kilometres from their schools.

Last weekend KLM held an Open House for KLM staff and their friends and family. Almost 40,000 people took the opportunity to visit parts of KLM they don’t normally come into contact with during their work.