KLM

Air France KLM confirm order for 25 Boeing 787 aircraft

Boeing and Air France KLM Group have finalised an aircraft order for 25 Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners, with further possible options.

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KLM Airlines selects Quintiq for pilot and simulator planning

After a thorough selection process KLM Royal Dutch Airlines (KLM) has chosen Quintiq for an advanced pilot transition, vacation and simulator planning system. Read more

Sound, Great, Smashing!! KLM's Liverpool service branded major success

KLM today announced that it will continue operating its four daily services from Liverpool John Lennon Airport to Amsterdam Airport Schiphol throughout the winter 2010/11 schedule.  The popular route has seen a significant growth with double the number of passenger since launching in March 2009 making Liverpool one of KLM’s most successful departure points on its extensive UK network.

Via KLM’s award winning hub airport in Amsterdam, KLM offers the Liverpool City Region, Cheshire and North Wales over 100 worldwide destinations on KLM’s intercontinental network and over 650 destinations across KLM’s Skyteam partner networks. In addition, point to point business travellers can benefit from the convenient flight schedule out of Liverpool which enables them to conduct a full day’s business in the Netherlands.

Henri Hourcade, AIR FRANCE KLM General Manager UK & Ireland said ‘When we launched KLM service out of Liverpool last year we were confident it would be a success due to the strong demand within both the leisure and business communities for a full-service long-haul carrier. We were delighted to see passenger figures surpass our expectations which encouraged us to up three daily frequencies to four back in May.  Due to excellent ongoing figures, we are able to cement our commitment to offering four services a day throughout the winter schedule.’

Schedule from 31^st October 2010:

From Liverpool John Lennon Airport to Amsterdam Airport Schiphol
KL1035  0920    0945
KL1037  1300    1325
KL1041  1620    1645
KL1045  2035    2055

From Amsterdam Airport Schiphol to Liverpool John Lennon Airport
KL1034  0600    0825
KL1036  1025    1240
KL1038  1405    1620
KL1042  1725    1945

KLM to increase flights to Tokyo

KLM Royal Dutch Airlines will strengthen its position in the Japanese market by operating three additional flights a week between Amsterdam Airport Schiphol and Tokyo Narita International Airport from November Read more

Air France and KLM launch Bluebiz in UK and Ireland

As of today, BlueBiz, the new joint Air France and KLM Corporate Benefits programme for small and medium sized business is available in the United Kingdom and in Ireland. Up to now, both airlines had their own Corporate Benefits programme aimed at this segment.

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  Earning Blue Credits
  Awards
  Membership

As member of the BlueBiz program the company earns Blue Credits each time one of its employees travels with Air France or KLM. Blue Credits are valid for at least 24 months up to a maximum of 36 months and are granted according to the route and the booking class. For the Blue Credits to be credited on its account, the company just needs to give its BlueBiz number when making a booking.

In addition, the members of Flying Blue, the Air France and KLM frequent flyer programme, continue to earn miles when travelling on Air France and KLM.

Blue Credits can be converted into award tickets and upgrades to any destinations in the extended global network of Air France and KLM using a simple scale: 1 Blue Credit is equal to 1 EURO. Any company employee can use the awards.

Membership is simple and free of charge, with no conditions required concerning a minimum number of trips to be made. Membership is valid for a minimum of two years and then as long as company members continue to travel.

“Small and medium enterprises are looking for an easy-to-use Corporate Benefits programme enabling them to make additional savings on their travel budget. By developing a new programme designed on the best characteristics of the former Air France and KLM programmes, the Group offers small and medium-sized businesses extended coverage of its entire network and partners ” says Jean Wieviorka, VP Corporate and Distribution, Air France KLM.  

To benefit from BlueBiz, companies can contact their usual travel agency or Air France and KLM.  All the services offered to BlueBiz members (membership, customer profile management, consulting and managing accounts and using awards etc) are accessible directly online 24/7 at www.airfrance.co.uk and www.klm.com

KLM launches scheduled service to Hangzhou, China

KLM will launch a scheduled service between Amsterdam and Hangzhou Xiaoshan Airport in China on 8th May 2010. KLM is the first airline to offer direct service between Hangzhou and Europe. This sixth destination in China consolidates KLM’s position in this fast-growing market.

“KLM is proud to add this 63th intercontinental destination to its network. With this sixth scheduled service to China, we now offer 36 weekly services to this growing market. KLM has thus improved China’s connection with Europe and the rest of the world,” says KLM President & CEO Peter Hartman. “Furthermore, KLM has given a boost to Schiphol’s mainport status. The KLM network is crucial to the Dutch economy, contributing to a favourable business establishment climate, generating employment and creating opportunities for Dutch businesses.”

The new service will be operated three times a week. Flight KL881 will depart from Schiphol on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays, arriving in Hangzhou the following day. Return flight KL 882 will depart from Hangzhou on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays, arriving in Amsterdam on the same day. Flights will be operated with a Boeing 777-200ER, which can carry 318 passengers – 35 in World Business Class and 283 in Economy Class.

Hangzhou is the capital of the province Zhejiang, which, together with the neighbouring province Fujian, is home to more than 80 million people. Via Hangzhou, passengers can catch connecting flights to other destinations within China. Together with its partner China Southern Airlines, KLM offers passengers services to Beijing, Chengdu, Guangzhou, Shanghai, Hong Kong, and now Hangzhou.

Boeing readies GOL airplane with chrome-free environmental paint

Boeing have recently prepared a new GOL Airlines 737-800 for Boeing’s first-ever application of a chrome-free primer to a single-aisle airplane bound for revenue service.

As part of Boeing’s life cycle approach to reducing environmental impact, and in response to requests from the Brazilian carrier and other customers, Boeing has introduced a chrome-free primer to complement chrome-free exterior decorative paint, which Boeing has used for more than a decade. In addition to simplified health and safety monitoring requirements, a chrome-free primer reduces the environmental impact of the paint and stripping process. Using a chrome-free primer eliminates the need for designated off-site disposal areas and special handling of paint waste and clean up. Such advantages also are of benefit when the airplane is prepared for repainting.

Chrome — technically known as hexavalent chrome — is considered a carcinogen and exposure levels are highly regulated.

Boeing will apply the chrome-free paint and primer on its models for in-service evaluation, with the intention of making it a standard option in the future. Sao Paulo-based GOL is the first airline in the Americas and the first 737 operator to take part in the evaluation program.  In August a KLM 777-300 ER received a similar treatment which also has been used on the AH-64 Apache for several years.

GOL, which also controls the VARIG brand, is Latin America’s largest low-cost, low-fare carrier, offering more than 860 daily flights to 50 destinations connecting all of Brazil’s major cities, plus 10 major destinations in South America and the Caribbean. The airline operates a standardized fleet of Boeing Next-Generation 737 airplanes.