KLM is committed to further reducing noise impact for people residing in the greater Schiphol area. We are an international trading nation and KLM wants to keep connecting the Netherlands with the rest of the world, in balance with the environment. A similar ambition is acknowledged in the new government’s coalition agreement.

Our industry-wide plan “Cleaner, quieter and more fuel-efficient” shows that we can achieve the government's noise reduction target without drastically reducing the number of flight movements at Schiphol. This revised package includes various elements of our plan, including our proposals for tariff differentiation, higher airport fees for noisy aircraft, and fleet renewal with quieter aircraft.

Unfortunately, the package also includes measures that are harmful and not proportionate. This includes the proposed blanket ban on certain aircraft types from 2025, without giving our industry time to seek suitable alternatives. This would have major consequences for our cargo operation, where we ordered new, quieter aircraft two years ago, which are only expected to be delivered in 2026.

This means there’s a focus on shrinkage, instead of seeking a balanced approach to reducing noise impact. This ignores potential consequences such as countermeasures for Dutch airlines abroad, legal feasibility, and damage to the Netherlands as a trading nation.

It is of great importance that we carefully pursue a balanced approach that complies with European guidelines and that we jointly seek a good solution that is in the best interests of the communities surrounding Schiphol and that acknowledges the importance of air transport for the Netherlands. European regulations state that shrinkage should never be an end in itself, we must continue to focus on noise reduction. KLM is in favour of integrated implementation of the industry-wide plan “Cleaner, quieter and more fuel-efficient”, which will ensure that the government's noise reduction target is achieved within the designated period, without undue damage to our industry and the local business climate.

We will carefully examine the proposed measures in this revised package before presenting our vision in more detail.

Stable, predictable operations are vital for customers and employees, who understandably expect this from us. We now have scarcely three months to make the necessary arrangements instead of the usual six. KLM will obviously do everything possible to operate the number of flights it has been allocated.

We have agreed to a number of announced measures, such as the cleaner, quieter and more economical plan, to accelerate the reduction of noise pollution. KLM shares the government’s environmental concerns and is fully committed to reducing its environmental footprint. Air France-KLM has accelerated its long-term, multi-billion euro investment plan in fleet renewal and in the use of sustainable aviation fuel. In the coming months, KLM and Transavia will receive their first Airbus A320neo family aircraft, with a noise footprint reduced by 33% on average. Since the year 2000s, the Group has already reduced its noise emissions by 40%.

KLM passengers are currently unable to check in at Schiphol Airport due to an IT malfunction. Online check-in is possible. We apologize to customers who are about to depart from Schiphol for the inconvenience. We are doing everything possible to solve the problem as soon as possible. 

Safety always comes first at KLM, both on the ground and in the air. KLM's analyses show that the expected wind force 9 combined with wind gusts of 95 to 110 kilometres per hour could lead to unsafe situations on the platform. The safety of colleagues on the ground takes precedence. 

This is the reason why it has been decided to cancel the arriving and departing KLM flights from early afternoon until the end of the day. We realise this is very inconvenient for our customers and apologise for the inconvenience. Customers affected will be rebooked or refunded.

In the coming days, KLM and VNV will further develop the outline agreement and VNV will submit it to its Members' Council. In that agreement, additional agreements were made about pay increases for pilots. After approval by the Members' Council, there is a new collective labor agreement, which will run from March 2, 2023 to February 28, 2025. We are happy that we were ultimately able to achieve this result through constructive consultation.

FNV and CNV consider the proposal a negotiation result and will be presenting it to their respective membership bases. De Unie, NVLT and VKP have indicated that they consider KLM’s proposal as its final proposal. This means these unions will inform us if they consider it a negotiation result. KLM hopes that this will soon lead to an agreement with all five ground unions.

The final proposal includes a wage increase effective 1 September 2023 of an amount of €135 gross per month and, effective 1 October 2023, a wage increase of 6%. There will also be a one-off payment of €500 in January 2024. In July 2024, a further increase of 3% will follow and in January 2025, depending on inflation trends, an increase of between 0% and 2%. Bolstered by these wage increases, the minimum wage for KLM Ground Personnel will increase to a level of above €16 an hour during the agreement’s term from 2 March 2023 through 28 February 2025.

KLM will also take further measures to prevent employees from becoming overloaded and will be reintroducing the temporary part-time pre-retirement scheme (also known as the “80-90-100 scheme”). This will enable those employees carrying out the most physically taxing work to retire earlier. The bridging allowance will also make it easier to switch to less physically demanding work.

The current judgement by the Amsterdam Court of Appeal creates a lack of clarity and causes uncertainty for passengers and the aviation sector. This is because it is unclear how the experimental scheme will be applied, how it should be enforced and ultimately - how the ruling will affect the number of aircraft movements at Schiphol. Moreover, the judgement conflicts with national, European and international regulations. It is in the interests of all parties to obtain clarity.

We are disappointed about the ruling and are studying it. The court does not specify in concrete terms how an experimental regulation can be applied. As a result, it is currently unclear when, how and in what way the ruling will be implemented and what it means for the number of aircraft movements at Schiphol.

KLM will continue to engage with other stakeholders in seeking the best way to reduce the number of people affected by aircraft noise. To this end, we have submitted a plan for cleaner, quieter, more fuel-efficient flight operations on 15 June. We are convinced that these measures will enable us to reduce noise impact and CO₂ emissions, while retaining our network. We would very much like to achieve this in cooperation with government and airport authorities, Air Traffic Control the Netherlands (LVNL) and other stakeholders, within the framework of the balanced approach required by the EU in the context of the noise reduction targets the ministry has set.

The conditions for the government loan and guarantee on the credit facility focused on (i) reducing controllable costs, (ii) an employment conditions-based contribution by employees, (iii) sustainability and quality of life conditions, (iv) other conditions such as the prohibition on the payment of dividends.

These conditions were laid down in the Framework Agreement. Anyone reading the State Agent’s final report might think that KLM was unconcerned about the government’s conditions, but that is by no means the case.

To summarise, we can say that:

-      KLM comfortably achieved the 15% reduction in controllable costs in 2020, 2021 and 2022;

-      KLM employees made an employment conditions-based contribution – based on their ability to pay – of between 0% and 20% in the first 17 months of the crisis;

-      550 new ground staff have been hired in KLM operations at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, solving the operational problems that arose starting in May 2022;

-      The loans have been repaid – with interest – and the repayment of deferred wage tax has begun;

-      KLM began recording positive financial results again in 2022;

-      A commercial credit facility has been concluded with 14 banks so that government aid could be terminated as of April.

Changing economic circumstances and scarcity in the labour market posed new dilemmas and forced KLM to make tough choices, which have proved successful. Government support has been effective and KLM has successfully survived the crisis. Travellers can rely on us, our network has been preserved and the loans were repaid much sooner than anticipated. KLM’s reporting has always been correct, factual and scrupulous, including in its annual report, and it has always informed the relevant ministries of its considerations.

In view of the above, we read the State Agents final report with some astonishment. It is a mixture of opinions and facts.

For example, the State Agent makes assertions about our cost savings in the current year, 2023, but the outcome is in fact still uncertain. He also claims that the European Commission approved KLM’s support package based on the Dutch government’s conditions. That was not the case.

The report seems to argue that the government loans, Temporary Emergency Bridging Measure for Sustained Employment (also referred to as the emergency job retention scheme or NOW) and deferred wage tax are inextricably linked. That is not the case. The conditions applied to the government loans (government loan and the banks’ government-guaranteed credit facility), but not to the emergency job retention scheme support and not to the deferred wage tax. After all, the latter two are governed by their own conditions to which KLM has adhered and, to the extent still applicable, will continue to adhere. They were generic support measures applicable to all companies in the Netherlands. All emergency job retention scheme requests by KLM were assessed by external auditors and no breach of the rules was identified whatsoever.

The State Agent furthermore expresses a number of personal opinions, for example about what he alleges to be KLM’s privileged position at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol and his claim in the presentation letter that the airline industry cannot be considered a free and competitive market. Competition does not exist solely at Schiphol, however, but also at the hubs in Frankfurt, Istanbul, Dubai and even the Far East.

The State Agent also targets our pilots. This is not justified. We vouch for all KLM employees, we conclude agreements with the unions about terms and conditions, and we therefore wish to dissociate ourselves from the State Agent’s comments in the report.

KLM is optimistic about the future. Our 33,000 employees are grateful for the government’s support and proud that KLM has emerged from this difficult period. It is time to look forward and to work together to build a strong and more sustainable airline industry.

Due to technical issues, KLM Cityhopper is having difficulty fully deploying the E2. KLM Cityhopper is consulting with Embraer and engine manufacturer Pratt & Whitney to seek a solution for these issues, which have no impact on flight safety.

KLM Cityhopper has deployed alternative capacity by retaining E190s that were to be returned to lease companies. Several wet lease agreements have also been signed.

We would rather cooperate with the other parties than face them in court. We were unfortunately forced to file these preliminary relief proceedings to get clarity; the capacity for the coming winter will be determined at the beginning of May. With this verdict, we have clarity.

With our measures we see a better alternative for achieving less noise and CO₂ while meeting travellers' need to fly. We will demonstrate this in the next phase of this case, the EU’s Balanced Approach procedure. This will investigate whether noise levels can be reduced around Schiphol using methods other than those envisaged by the ministry. The balanced approach is about the best way to reduce the number of people affected by aircraft noise. To this end, we would like to continue cooperating with government, Schiphol and any other relevant parties.

We want to reiterate how important we believe it is to continue to strive for greater sustainability. That means less noise and fewer CO₂ emissions. This is an important part of KLM’s strategy.

We are astonished that Schiphol is unilaterally putting forward proposals that will have far-reaching consequences for airlines, without involving the industry parties in this process. Only through a collaborative, sector-wide approach can the aviation industry achieve a balance between its surroundings and the climate. It should be noted that Amsterdam Airport Schiphol itself plays a vital role in this respect, for example in terms of ethical and sustainable employment practices and working conditions at the airport.

Together, we can arrive at an alternative that will have the support of all parties and will therefore be effective. In consultation with the other airlines based at Schiphol, our strategic partner Delta Air Lines, and aviation industry organizations, we will submit our views on this matter to the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management by 15 June at the latest. Schiphol remains welcome to join these consultations.

We will revisit Schiphol's proposals at a later date in the course of the European Union's Balanced Approach procedure.

If we fly more direct and efficient routes, we can cut CO₂ emissions by 6% to 10% in Europe. We would also get passengers to their destinations faster. KLM is positive about the European initiative to implement a single European airspace (Single European Sky 2+). A single European airspace would contribute directly to the collective ambition of aviation to reduce emissions. In addition to our investment in fleet renewal, sustainable fuels, and efficient ground operations, the Single European Sky 2+ initiative is necessary for KLM to meet its sustainability targets.

Commitments: global, European, and national

KLM is strongly committed to making aviation more sustainable. We are working with the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) to bring CO₂ emissions in line with the trajectory for aviation to keep global warming well below 2°C, as laid out in the 2015 Paris Climate Accord. Within the European context, KLM supports the Fit for 55-package which really helps the aviation industry become more sustainable. KLM is also a signatory to the Sustainable Aviation Agreement in the Netherlands in which concrete reduction plans have been agreed upon between the sector and the government.

As a member of the IATA Board of Governors, KLM CEO Marjan Rintel is the voice of the Netherlands in this international trade association for the world's airlines. Her position is important for KLM, considering the enormous challenges facing the sector. The IATA, representing around 290 airlines from 120 countries, aims to shape a safe, secure and sustainable air transport industry. 

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.

Koopmans joined KLM in 1998. He has held a range of positions during that time, giving him a broad experience of KLM. He is currently Vice President Component Services at Engineering & Maintenance, where he bears responsibility for KLM's component business, which serves more than 50 airlines.

KLM shares the ministerial goal of reducing noise and CO₂ emissions. However, KLM argues that reduced airport capacity will benefit neither travellers, nor the broader network, nor the Netherlands in general. Moreover, it restricts the earning capacity of airlines wanting to invest in sustainability. Fleet renewal offers a better alternative than capacity reduction. It will ensure a greater reduction in noise and emissions and will allow travellers to keep flying. This will enable us to strike a better balance in the interests of Schiphol, the environment, the surrounding community and travellers. We would like to discuss this alternative with the Dutch government.

In order to continue to guarantee the safety of passengers and crew at the airport and in operations, KLM will therefore be forced to cancel 34 KLC and KLM flights to comply with Schiphol’s request for today (Saturday). These flights were all set to depart between 09:30 and 17:00 hours with a significant number of passengers boarding in Amsterdam. In order to still carry our passengers back from their destinations, these flights will be departing empty. This has been a difficult choice, but it is also the only way to comply with the airport’s request to limit the number of passengers boarding, reduce queues at Security, enable returning passengers to travel as expected and ease pressure on operations. We are still assessing which flights are eligible for cancellation on Sunday and Monday.

Our passengers were notified on Friday evening. Any customers affected by these cancellations will be rebooked by KLM within the options at its disposal. Unfortunately, KLM cannot currently guarantee a same-day rebooking. Customers who incur costs as a result of changing or cancelling their flights due to Schiphol’s measures will be compensated in the customary manner.

KLM understands that these measures are again highly inconvenient for passengers. We therefore wish to stress that these circumstances are unfortunately beyond KLM’s control. Given the short period of notice provided by Schiphol and the nature of its request, our ability to respond is very limited.

KLM would like to apologise once again for the consequences of these unexpected measures taken by Amsterdam Airport Schiphol. We would also like to reiterate our call for Schiphol to swiftly and effectively restore order at the airport so that passengers and airlines know what they are going to have to contend with – also in the longer term.

KLM has ensured that the new CLA takes account of price developments in the Netherlands. A wage clause specifying a 2% increase effective 1 October 2022 and further 2% effective 1 March 2023 has been agreed. This reflects agreements recently reached with the trade unions representing ground personnel.

We also reached an agreement with VNV on productivity and flexibility in the coming period.

The existing international commuting arrangement for pilots has been discontinued. Pilots who live outside the Netherlands will now pay for their flights when commuting to work.

KLM employees will receive one-off payment when KLM no longer has a credit facility with government guarantees. This payment acknowledges the concerted effort made by KLM staff in the face of recent challenges.

Despite KLM’s successful recovery, the future remains uncertain due to factors such as high inflation, rising costs, uncertainties surrounding coronavirus and scarcity in the job market. KLM must therefore continue to cut costs structurally. The negotiating parties agreed to return to the table if the situation so demands in the coming period.

In response to these circumstances, KLM took the following preventative measure to minimise further inconvenience for passengers: transfer passengers travelling from one European destination to another via Amsterdam will only be allowed to travel with carry-on baggage on Thursday or will have the option of rebooking their flight.

KLM stresses that this measure will apply on Thursday, 21 July, for transfer passengers travelling within Europe – i.e. passengers travelling via Amsterdam from one European destination to another. The measure does not apply to passengers departing from the Netherlands or with intercontinental connections. 

The aim of this decision was to achieve the greatest possible effect, with the least possible impact on passengers. The measure will ensure that the volume of baggage that requires processing will remain manageable and that KLM can run schedules as normal for its customers on Thursday. The fact that transfer passengers within Europe will travel with carry-on baggage only on Thursday, will free up as much space as possible on Thursday’s flights to transport baggage that was left behind on Wednesday.

KLM is deeply troubled by that fact that passengers have had to wait for their baggage longer and that certain passengers have been inconvenienced by these problem. Passengers who have further questions will find more information on our website.

Changing circumstances at KLM 
It was no easy task to arrive at this result together, because the circumstances at KLM are complex and recovery is fragile. Nevertheless, KLM has, in the recent past, managed to repay all its loans to the government, thereby confirming that we are on our way to restoring our financial health.

All KLM staff adopted a flexible and resilient attitude throughout the pandemic, displaying immense loyalty and commitment in contributing to KLM’s recovery under difficult circumstances. It is important to offer them a better outlook in the current, drastically changed situation.

Soaring inflation, declining purchasing power, high work pressure and the tightening labour market are the latest circumstances demanding a response from KLM. That is why they have been offered a salary increase of 2% effective 1 October 2022 and a further 2% effective 1 March 2023. A minimum of EUR 80 has been set for both increases, to ensure that the financial position of those on lower incomes is strengthened.

Agreements with KLM’s predicament in mind
These agreements will restore stability to our organisation and offer better perspectives to (future) staff. Recovery is fragile, however, and the near future will remain difficult to predict for KLM, owing to high inflation, rising costs and dollar exchange rates, the ongoing presence of the coronavirus, and the war in Ukraine. It is therefore important for KLM to retain access to loans from the government and banks (i.e. credit facilities).

This is why KLM must continue its efforts to structurally reduce costs. If circumstances change in the coming period, causing KLM to slip into crisis once more, we will return to the negotiating table with the trade unions.

·         Through 28 August, we will cancel 10 to 20 return flights to European destinations every day.

·         We will also strongly restrict the sale of remaining seats on KLM and KLM Cityhopper flights to European destinations. This will free up space for customers who are rebooked if their flight is cancelled. This measure will supplement the existing restriction on sales, in order to accommodate passengers who have to be rebooked after missing their flight due to long queues at Schiphol and to comply with restrictions Schiphol has imposed on the number of passengers boarding locally.

·         Customers who can’t fly will be informed in a timely manner and rebooked onto a different flight. In most cases, this flight will depart on the same day or as close as possible to the original booking. Passengers will not have to contact KLM for this purpose, but will be informed by KLM or their travel agent.

·         Cargo will not longer be booked and loaded onto KLM Cityhopper flights. This will reduce work pressure for handling staff on the ground.

·         We will also close the belly compartment for loose packages and mail bags aboard flights bound for intercontinental destinations. This loose bulk freight will be placed in containers, which will be brought in via the apron, making them easier to load onto the aircraft.

Measures relating to airfreight will remain in place until the end of the summer schedule (29 October).

KLM is confident that these measures will ensure smooth handling of incoming and outgoing flights in the coming weeks. KLM reasserts that these measures are temporary.

In 2020, KLM utilised €942 million of the total loan package of €3.4 billion. In May and June this year, KLM repaid two thirds of this amount, leaving only €277 million of the utilised government loan outstanding. KLM also intends to repay this amount this year. Moreover, government has offered companies hard-hit by the pandemic the option of deferring wage‑tax payments. In KLM’s case this amounts to €1.5 billion, which will be paid back with interest within the specified five-year period.

KLM also took advantage of the government’s emergency job-retention scheme (NOW) set up to help all companies running at a loss as a direct result of the Covid-19 pandemic. KLM received a total of €1.9 billion under the scheme, which it does not have to repay.

Shared ambitions
In the report, the state agent expressed concerns whether the measures taken by KLM are structural enough to guarantee the long-term health of KLM. “KLM shares the state agent’s ambition to emerge strong and competitive from the crisis. It has already taken numerous steps to meet this aim and will, of course, continue to do so,” says Chief Financial Officer & Managing Director, Erik Swelheim. “We are confident that we will continue to connect the Netherlands with the rest of the world as a future-proof airline, while focusing on achieving greater sustainability. The fact that we’ve booked favourable operational results over the last three quarters and are outperforming our European competitors, strengthens our conviction.”

Inaccuracies
KLM particularly regrets that the report does not do justice to the efforts of all KLM colleagues during the last two difficult corona years. In addition, the report contains a number of inaccuracies and/or suggestive formulations that have already been shared with the State Agent in writing. KLM will discuss this matter further with the government in the near future.

Tax avoidance
The state agent also stresses that KLM must guard against facilitating potential tax avoidance by employees living outside the Netherlands, pointing to an issue highlighted two years ago in relation to which the state agent sees little progress. “We understand the agent’s desire for quick solutions, but KLM also intends to comply with agreements reached with its employees and the trade unions. A workgroup representing KLM, the Dutch Airline Pilots Association (VNV), and the FNV and VNC Cabin Crew unions is working on this issue,” Swelheim explains.

KLM is an international company with around 25,000 employees of many different nationalities. A small percentage of its flight personnel (2.9% of the total workforce) live in another country and make use of KLM’s commuting scheme.

Network quality
The state agent also refers to the new policy framework for monitoring and assessing network quality at Schiphol, in which context KLM and its partners perform a significant role. KLM’s network connects the Netherlands to the world’s most important economic regions and KLM’s European network links into its intercontinental network. Despite its relatively small domestic market, transfer passengers enable KLM to maintain a global network, facilitating international business operations and contributing to an attractive business climate and employment opportunities in the Netherlands. All KLM’s destinations play a part in maintaining the network. 

For a more detailed explanation of our network, please see this video: 

By taking such measures, KLM expects to remain within the agreed number of boarding passengers, enabling us to provide our customers with clarity, despite the ongoing operational challenges at Schiphol. For example, passengers who have already booked do not need to worry whether their trip will be going ahead.

KLM passengers whose flights get cancelled will be offered acceptable alternatives. In most cases, this will mean a flight on the same day, or as close as possible to the day of the original booking. Passengers who are affected will be informed personally as soon as possible. Passengers do not need to contact KLM; they will receive this information automatically from KLM or their travel agent.

KLM once again stresses that being forced to limit the number of travellers at Schiphol cannot be a structural solution.

KLM endorses the need for additional measures, but at the same time it should be stressed that we find the mandatory reduction of passengers boarding locally highly detrimental and feel it should be a one-off, short-term solution. KLM finds it unacceptable that the airport’s users should have to structurally bear the burden of capacity problems at Schiphol.

Although KLM is against Schiphol’s measure in principle, KLM has cooperated with efforts to solve the problem, in the interests of passengers and safety at the airport. We have done so, among other things, by complying with Schiphol’s requests to scrap flights and voluntarily slow down ticket sales, spread flights across the day, extend connection times, etcetera. 

KLM feels it is important to give passengers clarity as swiftly as possible regarding the measures they can expect during the summer. In that light, it is better to take steps now, than to take ad hoc measures later. KLM will therefore comply with the request to reduce the number of passengers boarding locally, thereby helping to reduce the pressure on security at Schiphol during the peak period.

KLM will do its utmost to ensure that as many passengers as possible can enjoy holidays they have already booked. This can be achieved, among other things, by restricting the number of tickets made available to passengers boarding locally during the peak period. This measure would supplement KLM’s existing efforts, such as the spreading of flights. Based on the current information we have received from Schiphol, KLM will not have to cancel existing bookings on a major scale.

KLM holds Schiphol responsible for the financial impact of these measures.

The number of passengers being rebooked is currently rising, which means that nearly all passengers have now been offered an alternative.

KLM expects its flights to operate on schedule on Whit Monday, 6 June, as they did on Sunday.

KLM would like to stress that the decision to suspend passenger flights to or via Amsterdam on Saturday evening was extremely difficult and one that was not taken lightly. Unforeseen and acute circumstances beyond our control compelled us to intervene in this way. Unfavourable weather conditions combined with runway maintenance at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol led air traffic control to reduce capacity further on Saturday evening. Many aircraft were consequently unable to land in or depart from Amsterdam. This led to a build up of passengers at Schiphol, causing large queues to form. In the interests of guaranteeing safety at Schiphol and maintaining a manageable situation at the airport, it was not possible for KLM to bring passengers to Schiphol in a responsible manner.  

KLM would like to stress that its primary concern is to fly passengers safely to their destinations. The first passengers to be stranded on Saturday have now departed to and from Schiphol and KLM is working hard to rebook other passengers who, due to these unforeseen circumstances, have been unable to reach their destinations. KLM is doing its utmost to get these passengers to their destinations as quickly as possible.

KLM would once again like to apologise for the situation that arose on Saturday, when KLM faced unforeseen and urgent circumstances that are beyond our control (unfavourable weather conditions and reduced runway capacity, due to runway maintenance by Schiphol), led us to take the decision at the end of the day to suspend passenger flights from European destinations to Amsterdam. We understand the impact this had on our passengers.

In response to the situation at Schiphol, KLM had already reduced its own capacity in advance of this weekend. However, unfavourable winds combined with runway maintenance led air traffic control at Schiphol to reduce capacity even further. This meant that far fewer aircraft were able to land in Amsterdam, or to take off. This led to a large number of KLM flights being delayed, or even cancelled on Saturday. The number of passengers who were unable to depart from Schiphol, due to these external factors, consequently increased sharply.

To ensure safe and workable operations at Schiphol, KLM was unfortunately compelled at the end of Saturday to take the decision not to fly any new passengers to Amsterdam from European stations. This decision was taken to ensure that as many stranded passengers as possible could depart from Schiphol on Saturday, enabling KLM to operate as many flights as possible according to schedule on Sunday.

This means a large number of KLM flights on Saturday were delayed or even cancelled. The number of passengers who were unable to depart from Amsterdam due to these external factors has increased sharply.
To ensure safe and workable operations at Schiphol for passengers and crew, KLM took the far-reaching decision that no further passengers would be brought to Amsterdam. This decision was taken to ensure that as many stranded passengers as possible can depart from Schiphol on Saturday and that KLM can operate as many flights as possible on Sunday.

The decision to stop bringing passengers from European destinations to or via Amsterdam remained in force for the whole of Saturday. Looking at the current weather forecasts, KLM does not expect to continue stopping passengers flying from European destinations into Amsterdam on Sunday and expects to run the operation as planned. 

KLM offers its sincere apologies to passengers who were unable to travel to Amsterdam from certain European destinations, as well as those who were unable to transfer via Amsterdam to other final destinations.

We understand that this decision has great impact on passengers, particularly during the Whit Monday weekend. KLM would like to stress that it is doing its utmost to offer passengers alternative flights as quickly as possible.

KLM will therefore proactively cancel up to 50 flights a day in the coming weekend. Passengers affected by this decision have, of course, been rebooked onto other flights. KLM has also freed up seats on certain flights, so that passengers who miss their flight or transfer due to congestion at the airport can fly to their destination later that day.

Furthermore, KLM will be testing an alternative baggage handling process this weekend. Baggage will be loaded onto the aircraft later than usual, to ensure that handlers no longer have to remove baggage belonging to passengers who end up missing their flight.

KLM has taken these far-reaching steps to ensure that processes are configured in such a way that they contribute to safe and workable circumstances at the airport, while ensuring that KLM’s own operational processes run smoothly and predictably. KLM is aware that this may cause unexpected turns in the travel experience for some passengers, but appeals to their understanding in these exceptional circumstances. At the same, KLM feels it should stress that these measures are in the best interests of passengers. The purpose of the measures is to ensure that as many passengers as possible, as well as their baggage, arrive at their chosen destination this weekend.

With these decisions, KLM is taking responsible action and seeking solutions for the current challenges at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol. KLM urges Schiphol Airport, as well as all other airlines operating at Schiphol, to do the same in the interests of all passengers.

KLM would like to reiterate how grateful it is to the government for the support we received in 2020. We see it as our duty to repay the loans we received as soon as possible. KLM has utilised a total of € 942 million from the loan package, € 311 million of which has already been repaid. When KLM accepted state aid in 2020, it signed up to terms and conditions, which still remain in force.

One of the conditions the Dutch government attached to the loan package was that KLM should cut its controllable costs by 15%. KLM has more that met this demand, managing to reduce its controllable costs by 30% over the last year. This rapid cost reduction, combined with the drastically reduced NOW emergency job-retention scheme, made KLM one of the best performing airlines in Europe over the last three quarters.

Part of this  is due to the employment conditions-based contribution paid by almost all KLM employees. Under this arrangement, personnel contributed up to 20% of their salary, depending on their income bracket. Agreements were reached with the trade unions on this matter. All the collective labour agreements (CLA) meet the employment conditions-based contribution requirement. The CLA for cockpit crew ran until 1 March 2022, while the current CLAs for ground personnel and cabin crew run until the end of 2022. A new CLA for cockpit crew has been delayed by the International Labour Organization (ILO) report, which criticises the state-imposed terms and conditions. Discussions around the pilots' CLA will continue over the next few weeks.

KLM has also further developed its sustainability agenda in line with government conditions. Constructive dialogue has taken place with the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management over the last few months and an implementation plan has been drawn up that answers the government's wish that KLM's efforts in this area should be easier to follow. KLM is on track regarding sustainability and operates every flight with a small percentage of sustainable aviation fuel. KLM has also committed to the Science Based Targets initiative that helps businesses comply with the Paris Agreement on Climate Change.

KLM is an international company employing approximately 25,000 people of many different nationalities. A small number (2.9% of the workforce) of the flying personnel live outside the Netherlands and make use of KLM's commuting scheme. KLM, the Dutch Airline Pilots Association (VNV), and the FNV Cabin Crew and VNC Cabin Crew trade unions acknowledge that they must always act in accordance with existing legislation and regulations. KLM has established a workgroup with the three unions involved. Its aim is to find a solution as quickly as possible that is also acceptable to the unions.

New and existing shareholders are participating in the rights issue. The Dutch State also announced it intends to buy shares to maintain its current 9.3% stake at the same level. Parliamentary approval is still required for this.

 For more information please see the press release of Air France-KLM: www.airfranceklm.com/en/press-releases/air-france-klm-launches-rights-issue-be-subscribed-cash-andor-offsetting-claims

Cancelling flights needs to contribute to the request of Schiphol to keep processes manageable at the airport because of their staff shortage. Cancelling flights and adjusting KLM’s flight schedules also helps controlling our own workload.

KLM’s flight schedule will be optimized throughout the weekend. At this point in time, we do not expect additional cancellations are needed. However, further cancellations can not be ruled out. 

We urge passengers to get to the airport on time. KLM’s recommends to be at the airport at least 3 hours prior to time of departure of your flight.

Fortunately, following discussions with the management board, we can now report that the employees concerned have resumed work. As a result, we can slowly resume flight operations and passengers will still be able to fly to their respective destinations. 
However, the work stoppage means that passengers may experience changes, delays or cancellations. Other restrictions including scheduled runway maintenance and wind at Schiphol will also lead to disruptions in flight operations this weekend. This situation is of course regrettable and we are doing everything we can to transport everyone to their destinations as quickly as possible.

The discussions between the management board and the employees concerned addressed topics including staff shortages, mounting work pressure and job retention in the long term. These discussions will of course continue in the coming period.

KLM would like to emphasise that the safety of its employees and passengers is always the top priority. Flight safety is never compromised. Even in this situation, the safety of employees and passengers was not compromised in any way whatsoever.

KLM understands that such a disruption at the start of the May holiday period has had a major impact on passengers and the workforce. KLM is making every effort to resume full operations as soon as possible in order to transport everyone to their respective destinations.

The ACM made a decision regarding the airlines' objections on 24^th March 2022. KLM is extremely disappointed that the ACM has chosen to disregard almost all of the airlines' objections and has missed an opportunity to further supplement the reasonableness of the Aviation Act, which could have resulted in a proportionate distribution of the pain of the COVID crisis.

In the opinion of KLM, KLM Cityhopper, Transavia, Martinair and Air France, this is an extremely strict interpretation of the Aviation Act and an interpretation of the settlement mechanism that ignores its original purpose. According to the airlines mentioned above, the ACM does not protect the users against excessive charges by the monopolist Schiphol (the original purpose of the Aviation Act), but instead shifts all of the monopolists’ business risks that have arisen during the COVID period, on to the airlines. There is no alternative airport infrastructure of this scale in the Netherlands. Airlines are therefore forced to purchase their services from Schiphol.

The ACM rejects the airlines' objections to Schiphol offsetting the COVID losses; while at the same time the ACM, in view of the COVID crisis, does allow Schiphol to deviate from the allocation system, allowing it to pass on more costs.

KLM will therefore lodge an appeal against the ACM decision with the CBb (Dutch Trade and Industry Appeals Tribunal).

In July 2020, one of the conditions that the Dutch government imposed on the provision of loans to KLM was that no variable remuneration would be paid to executive management during the term of the loans. Consequently, no short-term bonuses or long-term variable assets (shares) were allotted to the board or executives for 2021.

Another government condition is that KLM employees who earn three times the average income should make an employment conditions-based contribution of at least 20%. In 2021, the KLM Board’s remuneration was reduced by 47% (Elbers) and 34% (Swelheim and De Groot), which more than complied with this condition.

Mr Elbers’ pay ratio – i.e. his annual total remuneration compared to the average annual remuneration of a KLM employee – amounted to 8.1 in 2021, compared to 11.7 in 2019.

You can read the annual report here.

KLM understands that these cancellations are very annoying for passengers. Especially because this situation occurs at the start of the spring break. All passengers who are confronted with cancellations will of course be informed about this by KLM. They will also be rebooked on other flights. KLM does her utmost to get all passengers to their destination as quickly as possible.

Regarding the disruptions and the spring break, we advise all passengers to check the most current information about their flight at www.klm.nl before traveling to Schiphol.

KLM has not been flying over the eastern regions of Ukraine and Crimea since 2014. There are now no more KLM flights through Ukrainian airspace until further notice.

KLM always puts the safety of passengers and employees first in the conduct of its operation. Choosing safe and optimal routes is a standard part of our daily practice. KLM uses a security management system to analyze risks in order to determine safe flight routes. This analysis also uses information that is shared within the Dutch expert group, which includes all Dutch airlines, the intelligence services, the Ministry of Defence, the Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, NCTV and the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management. The decision not to fly over or to a specific country is based on the most current analyzes at that time.

We regret that, largely due to factors beyond our control, our passengers were not informed about procedures and had to wait on board the aircraft for several hours. This meant that they did not receive the customer-friendly care they should be able to expect from us. We want to prevent this from happening again, which is why we want to sit down with the GGD municipal health authority and Amsterdam Airport Schiphol to learn from this event and to improve procedures for our passengers.

We would like to offer our sincere apologies to all our passengers who were affected by this turn of events and would be happy to discuss what happened with them.

Health and fighting COVID-19 are paramount but the measures taken must be effective and proportionate. It looks like other EU member states, such as Italy, France and Belgium are not putting a triple lock on the door for travelers from the US.  

The decision by the Dutch government is a big step backwards for KLM. As a result, KLM is forced to remove the proposed new flights from Amsterdam to Orlando, Miami and Las Vegas this winter (October 31, 2021 through March 26, 2022) from its winter schedule until further notice. Travelers will be informed starting next week. 

The challenge we are facing is global, making unambiguous policy at a global level essential. A European Union that sets the tone with good European policies using strong instruments to improve sustainability is important for furthering this transition. It is vital that everyone participates and that a level playing field is maintained globally. We must become more sustainable, while ensuring that we can continue to compete with the rest of the world.

The European airline industry presented its own ambitious roadmap in February of this year, entitled Destination 2050. It was written by the Netherlands Aerospace Centre (NLR) and SEO Amsterdam Economics and contains concrete steps and recommendations for achieving net-zero CO₂ emissions by 2050 for all flights departing from European airports.

We are delighted that many of the proposals the European Commission presented today correspond well with the vision we presented in Destination 2050. We support measures for upscaling the production and use of Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF), which emit up to 85% less CO₂ than regular kerosene. In addition, we advocate for indisputable sustainability criteria for such alternatives. A Single European Sky is also essential alongside this package of measures, because ensuring airlines can take the most direct routes in Europe could reduce CO₂ emissions in Europe by up to 10%.

Such measures are effective in helping the airline industry to become more sustainable. Introducing general levies, such as a European kerosene tax, will not achieve this, because they do not directly lead to a reduction in CO₂ emissions and moreover the revenues raised are not invested in boosting sustainability in the industry. Kerosene tax may well have the opposite effect, leading to aircraft flying longer routes to circumvent the tax and thereby increasing emissions.

We need to implement those measures that will actually efficiently and effectively reduce CO₂ emissions. EU policy must support the airline industry’s efforts to become more sustainable. We will now take sufficient time to thoroughly analyse the European Commission’s extensive proposals.

Regrettably, we have had to conclude that at least one Ground Services employee was involved in this video. This behaviour is totally unacceptable. It is contrary to the core values we uphold as a company and as a division. There is no place for this kind of behaviour, neither at KLM nor within the broader airport community. Appropriate action will therefore be taken.