Right now, there are nine Fokker 70s still in KLM Cityhopper’s fleet. When the Fokker 70 is phased out, the last aircraft of Dutch origin will disappear from Dutch soil. It will bring a special period in aviation history to an end.

KLM Cityhopper announced its fleets renewal programme in 2008. In recent years, the Fokker 50 and 100 have been phased out and replaced by Embraer 175s and 190s. By acquiring this new aircraft type, KLM and KLM Cityhopper can once again contribute to more fuel-efficient and environmentally friendly operations. Quality and comfort for passengers are extremely important in that process.

KLM Cityhopper is Europe’s largest regional carrier. Each year, it carries out more than 105,000 flights from Amsterdam Schiphol to sixty-seven European destinations. No later than 2018, KLM Cityhopper’s entire fleet will consist of thirty Embraer 190 and seventeen Embraer 175 aircraft. This will give KLM the single-largest Embraer fleet in Europe.

Fokker
KLM operated its last commercial flight with a Fokker 50 in 2010, and the last Fokker 100s were phased out in 2012.

The Fokker 70 was deployed by 15 airlines worldwide. KLM began flying Fokker 70s in 1996 and is the biggest user of this aircraft type. The average age of our Fokker 70s is almost 20 years, with each aircraft racking up around 38,000 flight hours and a similar number of take-offs and landings for the entire fleet. There are currently 14 Fokker 70s in the KLM fleet.

Embraer
KLM welcomed its first E190 aircraft as early as December 2008, and the first E175 arrived in April this year.

Once the Fokker 70s have been replaced with Embraers, KLM’s fleet will consist of 30 E190s and one E175. A further 16 E175s will join the fleet through 2018, giving KLM the largest Embraer fleet in Europe.

Since 1934, KLM is the only airline in the world to have operated every series-built aircraft type manufactured by Douglas, from DC2 to DC10. It all began in 1934 with KLM’s first DC-2, which remained in service until 1946. The legendary PH-AJU “Uiver” (Stork), which won the handicap section of the London to Melbourne race in 1934, was a DC-2. The DC-3 Dakota will be on show on the apron during the farewell event at Schiphol. KLM is the only airline to have operated the DC-5, because it was the only airline that did not cancel its order for this aircraft during the Second World War.

Today, KLM bids a fond farewell to this legendary aircraft and has the honour, as a loyal customer, of marking the end of the Douglas era. Over the last few years, KLM has invested in a modern, fuel-efficient and sustainable fleet, for which the MD-11 is no longer suited. The MD-11 will be succeeded by the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner in 2015. The Boeing Dreamliner can carry 294 passengers, generates fuel savings of around 30%, and produces less noise and CO2 emissions. This is how KLM is contributing to a more sustainable airline industry. The Airbus A330 and Boeing 777 will deployed instead of the MD-11 until the new aircraft are delivered.

About the quiz
The campaign consists of two parts: a quiz with 11 questions and a timeline. The timeline gives an overview of MD-11 milestones and memories in photos, videos and words.

Anyone with a Facebook or Twitter account can take part in the quiz and stands to win various unique daily prizes, including an MD flight simulator session. If you don’t know an answer, the timeline will help you find it. Readers will discover how many tonnes of kerosene a KLM MD-11 can carry, which famous ladies KLM’s MD-11s are named after, and how many passenger seats there are aboard a KLM MD-11. Get all 11 questions right and you stand a chance to win the main prize.

The site will remain online for the rest of the year.

Peoples’ experiences with the MD-11 have been documented in Dutch in the unique publication “Farewell MD-11”, which can be ordered at http://www.md-11.nl/