Read the Air France-KLM press release here.

This slight drop had a number of causes combined with a fall in load factor in Europe. There was robust growth in passenger traffic on North and South American routes, while capacity and traffic to African and Asian destinations decreased.

The load factor for KLM Cargo rose to 66.4% (+1.3%^pts), because capacity decreased (-4.3% ATKs) more than traffic (-2.4% RTKs).

At Transavia, while capacity remained more or less the same, traffic grew somewhat, resulting in a higher load factor.

(*) The joint Air France KLM traffic results are available in the download box of this message.

KLM Cargo is specialised in the secure transportation of art and other valuable and special cargo. In the past, KLM Cargo transported works such as Johannes Vermeer’s “Milkmaid” and Damien Hirst’s “Shark”, which weighs 5,000 kilos. In 2016, KLM Cargo brought the skeleton of a Tyrannosaurus Rex from the United States to the Netherlands, for an exhibition at Naturalis in Leiden. And in April 2017, they transported two pandas from China to the Netherlands, where they found a new home at Ouwehands Dierenpark.

The exhibition “Dutch Masters from the Hermitage. Treasures of the Tsars” will be on at the Hermitage Amsterdam from 7 October through 27 May 2018. It will include a total of 63 works by 50 Dutch Masters of the Golden Age, including six paintings by Rembrandt. The majority of these paintings are permanently on show and have not been exhibited in the Netherlands since they were purchased by the tsars.

Air France and KLM are the world’s first airlines to make use of this kind of sorting system. In Paris, the system has already been a great success since its launch in April 2015. KLM opted for a same kind of system, but had to make various innovative adjustments owing to a lack of space.

To make space for a new pier at Schiphol, one of KLM Cargo’s three warehouses had to be partly demolished. The main challenge in building the sorting system lay in accommodating existing cargo processes in 50% of the floor space. This was achieved, in part, by scaling up vertically. The storage space for containers has doubled, ensuring that there is space for growth.

Together, KLM and Air France are the world’s fifth-largest air cargo carrier. Every year, KLM and its partners carry 928 kilotons of cargo. Schiphol is Europe’s third-largest air cargo hub, after Frankfurt and Paris.

Foto's: Paul Ridderhof

Foto: Janiek Dam

During the welcome ceremony, the guests were addressed by Ronald van Roeden (Deputy Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs), Wu Ken (the Chinese Ambassador to the Netherlands), Pieter Elbers (KLM President & CEO) and Marcel Boekhoorn (the owner of Ouwehands Zoo). After the speeches, it was time for everyone to feast their eyes on these amazing animals.

One of the fields that KLM Cargo specialises in is the transportation of a broad range of different types of animals in a caring and sustainable manner. It employs specialised staff members who possess the right knowledge and expertise to accompany and care for the animals in the best possible manner during their journey. KLM is one of the few airlines in the world with its own Animal Hotel at Schiphol. The hotel is fully equipped to take care of the animals before, during and after their travels. In a separate area, specially trained animal stewards make sure that the animals travel comfortably and safely.

KLM broadcast a live Vlog of the pandas arriving on Facebook that can still be viewed there.

KLM Cargo is honoured to be able to transport the giant pandas from Chengdu to their new enclosure in Ouwehands Zoo. KLM Cargo specialises in the animal-friendly and responsible transport of a wide range of animal species and employs specialised personnel with the knowledge and expertise to ensure that the animals are looked after as well as possible during their journey. KLM is one of the few airline companies with its own animal hotel at Schiphol airport. It is fully equipped to care for animals before, during and after their journey. Specially trained animal stewards ensure that the animals travel as comfortably and safely as possible in a partitioned environment. Giant pandas are not transported very often. However, KLM Cargo has already transported giant pandas a few times. KLM Cargo will use this experience to safely fly Xing Ya and Wu Wen to the Netherlands. The pandas will travel in enclosures made especially for them.

Arrival at Schiphol

Upon arrival, the animals will be fetched from the aircraft hold by KLM Cargo and transported to the KLM Animal Hotel. The animals will be cleared through customs here and a health check will take place. The Dutch press, Chinese and Dutch dignitaries and guests will subsequently meet the giant pandas for the first time.

Arrival in Rhenen

The lorry with which the two giant pandas will be transported will follow a special route through the centre of Rhenen. A warm welcome awaits them there, which will naturally be in an entirely panda-themed manner. When Xing Ya and Wu Wen arrive in Ouwehands Zoo they will be quarantined for several weeks. Visitors to the zoo will only be able to see the giant pandas after the official opening, the date of which is yet to be announced.

Pandasia

This enclosure for giant pandas is part of a larger Asian project, which will provide accommodation for a number of Asian species, such as small pandas and muntjacs. The whole area covers about 9,000 m², of which 3,400 m² is reserved for the giant panda enclosure. The enclosure consists of two sections, a separate indoor and outdoor enclosure for the male and the female, several night accommodations, a nursery, a cold store for storing bamboo, a veterinary clinic and a keepers' area. In addition, a restaurant with a Chinese/Asian look will complete the project.

Giant panda conservation

The giant panda is an endangered species found only in the wild in China. At the last count, there were only around 1,850 giant pandas living in the wild. By signing the cooperation agreement with the Chinese Wildlife Conservation Association, Ouwehands Zoo has committed itself to participation in an extensive nature conservation project, with the objective of protecting giant pandas in the wild. Besides the arrival of the giant pandas in Rhenen, Ouwehands Zoo will make a substantial financial contribution each year to support nature-protection activities in China.

Online reservation compulsory!

In order to ensure that a visit to Ouwehands Zoo and the giant pandas is an amazing experience, it will only be possible to buy tickets for the zoo online from after the official opening.

About KLM Cargo

KLM Cargo is the freight division of KLM and, in addition to the transport of regular cargo, specialises in the transport of special cargo. From exclusive paintings and sport cars to competition horses, livestock, living insects, pets, tropical fish and now the two giant pandas Xing Ya and Wu Wen.