KLM Newsroom

KLM Serves Meals Created by Top International Chef Richard Ekkebus

Mon, 05 Nov 2012 10:05:00 +0100

KLM has a long tradition of serving its World Business Class passengers meals created by leading Dutch chefs. This is one way KLM invests in its inflight service, by teaming up with top chefs and sommeliers. With the dishes of Richard Ekkebus, KLM once again offers excellent culinary quality to its passenger, having previous served the dishes of Sergio Herman, Jonnie Boer, Mario Ridder and Flemish chef Peter Goossens.

The dishes created by Richard Ekkebus will be served to World Business Class passengers from 1 December 2012 until the end of September 2013 on all intercontinental flights out of Amsterdam. A new development is that Richard Ekkebus’s dishes will also be served on flights out of Hong Kong.

As Director of Culinary Operations and Food and Beverage of The Landmark Mandarin Oriental, Richard Ekkebus supervises all dishes in one of the most luxurious and highly rated five-star hotels in Hong Kong. Under his guidance, the restaurant earned its second Michelin star for the fourth consecutive year. Amber is one of the top 50 restaurants in the world.

In early 2013, Richard Ekkebus will further expand his activities in China when the restaurant Fifty 8° Grill by Richard Ekkebus opens in Mandarin Oriental Pudong, Shanghai.

KLM revitalises its World Business Class cabin interior

Thu, 12 Apr 2012 01:00:00 +0200

By cooperating in this unique manner with Hella Jongerius, KLM intends to create an entirely new Business Class look & feel. In addition to designing the interior, Hella Jongerius will shape the full-flat seats. Customer comfort and safety always form the premise, harmonising well with KLM’s brand values. This also fits into the broader context of other successful KLM initiatives in WBC with top Dutch chefs and fashion designers.

Erik Varwijk, Managing Director KLM: “By choosing to work with Hella Jongerius, KLM is opting to engage a top Dutch designer to help make our Business Class passengers feel at home on board. As a designer, Hella has broad experience which she can apply to the needs of KLM and its customers, in accordance with the specific requirements for cabin interiors in the airline industry. Her previous projects demonstrate her ability to process such criteria into top-quality designs such as the ‘polder sofa’, which is both comfortable and beautiful. With her expertise and focus on quality, she is keenly aware of what makes a brand unique. An outstanding match!”

Hella Jongerius: “It’s a brilliant opportunity for me to design the cabin interior and the new business class seat for KLM. The challenge is one of safeguarding individual comfort in amiable settings using innovations. In so doing, I can optimally combine traditional details, and my industrial textile and colour skills with high-tech functionality.”

KLM will begin revitalising the first aircraft in June 2013. The Boeing 747-400s will be converted first; a total of 22 aircraft. Further details of the design and the new seat will be published in the second half of 2012.

KLM continues to invest in Business Class meals

Mon, 28 Nov 2011 01:00:00 +0100

Peter Goossens’ restaurant Hof van Cleve has three Michelin stars. Goossens was also ranked 15th in the world’s top 50 restaurants in 2011.

“KLM is continuing to work with top chefs and sommeliers,” says Erik Varwijk, Managing Director KLM. Peter Goossens has become a household name in the international culinary world. KLM is therefore extremely proud to be working with him.”

“It is a great honour for me to be given the opportunity to send my creations around the world. Working with the group of professionals at KLM and the team at my restaurant Hof van Cleve, we have produced a highly successful result,” according to Goossens.

Peter Goossens’ meals will be served from 1 December 2011 to the end of September 2012 on intercontinental flights from Amsterdam. KLM and Peter Goossens have developed a total of three menus. When composing the menus Goossens drew his inspiration from typically Flemish products, giving them an international twist. Wines to accompany each meal have been specially selected by the Hof van Cleve sommelier, who has several times been named the best sommelier in Belgium.

KLM Updates Business Class on European flights

Wed, 09 Feb 2011 01:00:00 +0100

Erik Varwijk, Executive Vice President KLM Commercial: “Extensive research among KLM business class passengers revealed a clear need for a better, more comfortable service to enable passengers to work or relax on board. We are delighted to be able to meet our customers’ needs by offering in Europe Business Class a vastly improved, new, and comfortable product.”

More comfort and efficiency – A seat in the new Europe Business Class provides one-and-a-half-times more room than before, because the middle seat is always left empty and can no longer be reserved. Besides improving the level of comfort, this also offers business passengers more privacy. Moreover, every business class seat in the 737 fleet will soon be fitted with a socket to charge electrical appliances. KLM continues to offer Europe Business Class passengers greater efficiency by providing priority departure and arrival services, such as Premium Check-In, extra baggage allowances, access to airport lounges, and priority during boarding and baggage processing.

Improved catering – The menu and presentation of meals on board is being completely modernised. KLM is introducing a newly refined, high-quality menu containing a range of choices depending on the flight and departure time. Four menus will be served every month. The catering presentation is also changing. Meals will now be served on tableware designed by Dutch designer Marcel Wanders, as they are in World Business Class. The collection is created in Wanders’ unique style and matches the quality standards of a top restaurant.

Europe Business Class is being introduced on all flights in Europe that are operated by KLM or KLM cityhopper. This amounts to around 500 flights a day to more than 60 destinations.