Michiel van der Eijk joined KLM in 1995, where he has held a range of positions. He is currently Managing Director of the Regional Jet Center, which is an independent subsidiary within the KLM Group. His extensive experience in the management of complex logistical processes, innovation and technology make him a worthy successor to Jan de Vegt at KCS.

The new robot system will reduce handling costs and make it easier to effect meal tray adjustments. This will serve to reduce production costs while increasing flexibility and customer-centricity, making it easy to serve a wider array of products on different types of trays. It will also be possible to cater efficiently to diverse special requests. The rate of production will also double in comparison to the previous system, namely 30,000 pieces.

Catering will return to normal on European flights departing from Schiphol from the morning of Friday, 20 December. European flights arriving early in the morning at Schiphol will still carry minimal catering on board.

Duty-free sales will also be suspended on intercontinental flights during this period. The work stoppage will not have an impact on catering on intercontinental flights.

We regret this situation and will do our utmost to make our customers' journeys as pleasant as possible.

KLM’s environmental policy aims to ensure biodiversity and animal welfare. KLM serves sustainable, MSC-certified fish that is on the green list of the Good Fish Guide published by the North Sea Foundation and WNF.
On flights out of Amsterdam, KLM serves Beter Leven certified veal (if it is on the menu), and on flights out of the United States, we serve so-called “cage-free” omelettes.

KLM also serves organically produced milk and Caring Dairy cheese on board and, from 2010, began serving Beter Leven certified cold cuts.

‘From Holland’ festival
In October and November, all passengers flying KLM out of Schiphol will experience the “From Holland” festival. This is the third year that we turn the spotlight to local produce and Dutch handicrafts.

The meals will include produce from Dutch farmers and other suppliers. The meals will also feature vegetables and fruit that are in season.

Seasonal produce is better for the environment because it can be processed immediately, which means it does not have to be stored or cooled for lengthy periods. This coincides closely with KLM’s Corporate Social Responsibility policy, and this produce comes with the added advantage that it is cultivated on Dutch soil and that it is very fresh. With this festival, KLM celebrates its typically Dutch roots and underscores the importance of sustainable catering.
 

“The wishes and choices of our customers are key. We will be testing them during the pilot project. Our aim is to align our products even more closely to what different customers want,” said Erik Varwijk, Executive Vice President of KLM Commercial.

The à la carte meals are part of the Delicious range, which KLM introduced on Economy Class flights to intercontinental destinations in February 2010. The range contributes to the uniform image of the on-board product.