Hyderabad: Pharmaceutical and technology hub 

Hyderabad, the capital of the Indian state of Telangana, has a population of over 7 million and is experiencing above-average economic growth. The city is internationally known as the "Pharmaceutical Capital of India," with more than 800 pharmaceutical companies based in the region. In addition, numerous American and European IT companies are active in the area. Hyderabad Airport is the fourth busiest airport in India, after Delhi, Mumbai, and Bangalore, and is showing rapid growth in passenger traffic. Thanks to its central location in southern India and extensive domestic connections via partner airline IndiGo, the city serves as a major business and logistics hub. 

Three weekly flights 

Starting September 2, KLM will operate three weekly flights between Amsterdam and Hyderabad (Tuesdays, Fridays, and Sundays) with a Boeing 777-200ER, equipped with 35 seats in World Business Class, 24 seats in Premium Comfort Class, and 229 seats in Economy Class. 

KLM's direct flights to Sint Maarten were suspended in 2017 due to hurricane Irma. Flights to Sint Maarten were then combined with the Amsterdam-Curaçao service. However, from 27 October 2019, KLM will once more operate a direct service from Schiphol to this Caribbean island. The twice weekly flights, on Tuesdays and Thursdays, will be operated with an Airbus A330. From 14 January 2020 a third frequency will be added.

• KL0729 departs Tuesdays at 11:20 CET from Schiphol and arrives 15:35 local time on Sint Maarten. On Thursdays it departs from Schiphol at 11:45 hours CET and arrives at 16:00 hours local time on Sint Maarten.
   
• KL0730 departs Tuesdays at 18:15 hours local time from Sint Maarten and arrives at Schiphol the next day at 07:50 hours CET.

Guanacaste Liberia is on the Pacific coast of northwest Costa Rica. From 29 October, KLM will operate flights four times a week from Amsterdam to Guanacaste Liberia in a Boeing 787-9. On the outbound journey the service will include a stopover at San José, the capital of Costa Rica.

• KL0717/0719 departs Monday, Tuesday, Friday and Saturday at 12:35 hours CET from Schiphol, arriving at San José at 17:15 hours local time. The flight continues on at 19:15 hours local time to Guanacaste Liberia, where it arrives at 20:10 hours local time.
   
• KL0717/0719 departs 21:15 hours local time from Guanacaste Liberia and arrives at Schiphol the next day at 14:20 hours CET.

Bangalore is in southern India and is famous for its many technology companies. From 30 October, KLM will operate flights on Monday, Wednesday and Friday between Schiphol and Bangalore in a Boeing 787-9. The flight schedule is as follows:

• KL0879 departs Schiphol 11:05 hours CET and arrives the next day at Bangalore, Kempegowda International Airport at 00:50 hours local time.

• KL0880 departs Bangalore at 02:45 hours local time and arrives at Schiphol at 08:25 hours CET the next day.

Limited capacity at Schiphol

KLM is able to offer three new destinations, despite the limited capacity at Schiphol, by optimising its network. We constantly monitor whether the type of aircraft and frequencies for a certain route match market demand and the route's results. This can mean that routes are sometimes suspended sooner than usual due to slot restrictions at Schiphol, as is the case with Colombo, Sri Lanka, this winter.

Air France-KLM winter schedule

For information about the Air France-KLM group capacity increase and new routes, please read this press release: https://www.airfranceklm.com/en/2019-2020-winter-schedule-25-increase-capacity

During the 2017-2018 winter season, KLM will operate three weekly flights to Mumbai, departing on Mondays, Thursdays and Sundays. Passengers will travel aboard the latest addition to the KLM fleet, the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, which has 30 World Business Class seats, 45 Economy Comfort seats and 219 Economy Class seats.

The flight will depart from Amsterdam at 13:00 hours CET, arriving in Mumbai at 01.55 hours local time. The return flight will depart from Mumbai at 04:00 hours local time, arriving in Amsterdam at 08:45 hours CET.

About Mumbai

Mumbai is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra and is the most densely populated city in India. Mumbai is situated on the west coast of India and has a deep natural harbour. The city is the financial, commercial and entertainment capital of India. It is also one of the world's top ten centres of commerce in terms of global financial flow. Mumbai's business opportunities, as well as its potential to offer a higher standard of living, attract migrants from all over India, making the city a melting pot of many communities and cultures.

Mumbai airport is the hub of KLM’s codeshare partner Jet Airways. This makes it easier for customers on KLM’s Mumbai service to book a wide range of connecting flights to all major cities and business centres in India, such as Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Chennai and Pune.

Direct connections between the Netherlands and India

Until Jet Airways moved its flights from Brussels to Amsterdam, from where it now operates daily services to Delhi and Mumbai, only KLM operated daily services between Amsterdam and Delhi.

Jet Airways has also recently announced that it will be commencing daily flights from Bangalore to Amsterdam.

Jet Airways has also entered into a codeshare partnership with KLM Royal Dutch Airlines and Delta Air Lines to provide convenient connections for passengers to and from key destinations across Europe and North America via Amsterdam. The partnership will enable customers to enjoy enhanced connectivity and seamless travel throughout the combined networks of Jet Airways, KLM and Delta.

Highlights of the agreement include:
An extensive European networkUnder the codeshare arrangement, Jet Airways will place its marketing code on KLM’s flights from Amsterdam to 30 cities across Europe including key destinations such as: Berlin, Brussels, Copenhagen, Dusseldorf, Edinburgh, Geneva, Gothenburg, Hamburg, Helsinki, Madrid, Manchester, Oslo, Prague, Stockholm, Stuttgart, Vienna, and Zurich.

Greater connectivity to North America
Jet Airways will also place its marketing code on KLM and Delta flights to 11 points across USA and Canada, namely: Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York-JFK, Newark, Washington, San Francisco, Calgary, Edmonton, Montreal and Vancouver.(*)

Increased travel options to India and beyond
For customers flying on KLM and Delta flights from North America and Europe, both airlines will place their marketing codes on Jet Airways’ flights between Amsterdam and Mumbai and Delhi. The airlines will also place their codes on flights beyond these gateways to key destinations including: Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Goa, Chennai, Ahmedabad, Kochi, Kolkata, and Amritsar. Subject to government approvals, KLM and Delta will also codeshare on flights to Kathmandu, Nepal and Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Customers flying via Mumbai and Delhi will also be able to access Jet Airways’ network of 48 destinations within India as well as destinations in the Indian subcontinent and Asia.

Benefits for Cargo customers
Amsterdam Airport Schiphol’s position as one of the largest gateways in Europe provides greater options for Jet Airways’ freight customers, thanks to seamless links with sea, rail and road transportation. Jet Airways’ direct daily flights from Amsterdam will benefit exports from the Netherlands including pharmaceuticals,specialized medical equipment, food and horticultural products, by facilitating access to Jet Airways’ network across the vast Indian market.

(*) Certain codeshare routes are pending Government approvals