KLM, the world’s oldest airline turns 100

Douglas DC-3 Dakota PH-ALR K-L-M HOLLAND

On Monday 7 October 2019, KLM, the world’s oldest airline turns 100.

KLM 100

The Koninklijke Luchtvaart Maatschappij, more commonly known by its initials KLM, grew to become one of the largest airlines in Europe, as well as one of the most iconic brands in the aviation industry.

Boeing 737-8K2 PH-BCH KLM 100 years logo

Boeing 737-8K2 PH-BCH KLM 100 years logo

Although formally founded in October 7 1919, the new airline did not really take off until May 1920, when a four-seater De Havilland DH.16 made the inaugural flight to London’s now defunct Croydon Airport.

KLM’s first intercontinental flight took off on 1 October 1924. The final destination was Jakarta (then called ‘Batavia’), Java, in the Dutch East Indies; the flight used a Fokker F.VII with registration H-NACC and was piloted by Van der Hoop In September 1929, regular scheduled services between Amsterdam and Batavia commenced.

Fokker-F.II H-NABC KLM

The first experimental transatlantic KLM flight was between Amsterdam and Curaçao in December 1934 using the Fokker F.XVIII “Snip”

Douglas DC-2-142 NC39165/PH-AJU KLM

Douglas DC-2-142 NC39165/PH-AJU KLM

At the start of World War II in 1940 the majority of KLM operations came to a standstill. It was a dark period which ended 1945 with the liberation of the Netherlands by allied troops.

Douglas DC-3C Dakota PH-PBA DDA Classic Airlines

Douglas DC-3C Dakota PH-PBA DDA Classic Airlines

In September 1945, after the end of World War II, KLM resumes their operations. Initially only on domestic routes but later the same year came the addition of a number of European destinations. On the 28th of November, the route to Indonesia was reopened.

On 1st November 1958 the KLM Douglas DC-7 “Caraibische Zee’ flew the first Amsterdam – Tokyo flight via the North Pole.

On 25 March 1960 the PH-DCA ‘Albert Plesman’ lands at Schiphol marking the start of the Jet engine era at KLM. The Douglas DC-8 aircraft has 4 jet engines making the flight time much shorter and reducing the number of stops required.

Douglas DC-8-63 PH-DEF KLM

Douglas DC-8-63 PH-DEF KLM

31 January 1970 the first KLM Boeing 747-206B lands at Schiphol. The PH-BUA ‘Mississippi’ starts KLMs ‘widebody’ era.

Boeing 747-406 PH-BFL KLM

Boeing 747-406 PH-BFL KLM

On 30 September 2003, Air France and KLM agreed to a merger plan in which Air France and KLM would become subsidiaries of a holding company called Air France–KLM. Both airlines would retain their own brands, and both Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris and Amsterdam Airport Schiphol would become key hubs.

The last commercial flight of the Fokker 70 was on 29 October 2017. This is the last Fokker to leave the KLM fleet and the end of a very long history between Fokker and KLM.

Fokker 70 PH-KZU KLM Cityhopper last flight from London Heathrow

KLM ordered its first Fokker aircraft in 1920, marking the start of their shared history of 97 years, in which two great companies inspired each other to take great steps.

KLM historical fleet
Aircraft Total Introduced Retired
Airbus A310-200 11 1983 1997
Airbus A330-200 4 2007 2016
BAC 1-11-301AG 1 1968 1968
Boeing 737-200 3 1988 1995
Boeing 737-300 19 1986 2011
Boeing 737-400 19 1989 2013
Boeing 737-700 2 2008 2019
Boeing 747-200B 1 1971 1991
5
1 1971 1977
Boeing 747-200M 5 1975 1986
Boeing 747-200B/SUD 5 1985 2003
Boeing 747-200/SUD/SF 2 1998 2003
Boeing 747-200M/SUD 3 1985 2003
2 1998
Boeing 747-300 1 1983 2003
Boeing 747-300M 2 1983 2003
Boeing 747-400 2 1989 2021
Boeing 747-400M 10 1989 2021
Boeing 767-300ER 12 1995 2007
Convair 240 Unknown 1948 1959
Convair 340 Unknown 1953 1964
De Havilland DH.16 Unknown 1920 1924
Douglas C-54 Skymaster 2 1945 1959
Douglas C-54A Skymaster 16
Douglas C-54B Skymaster 3
Douglas DC-2 Unknown 1934 1946
Douglas DC-3 Unknown 1936 1964
Douglas DC-4-1009 6 1946 1958
Douglas DC-5 4 1940 1941
Douglas DC-6 Unknown 1948 1963
Douglas DC-7 Unknown 1953 1966
Douglas DC-8 Family 37 1960 1985
Douglas DC-9-10 6 1966 1989
McDonnell Douglas DC-9-30 12 1967 1989
McDonnell Douglas DC-9-30C 6
Fokker F.II Unknown 1920 1924
Fokker F.III Unknown 1921 1930
Fokker F.IX Unknown 1930 1936
Fokker F.VII Unknown 1925 1936
Fokker F.VIII Unknown 1927 1940
Fokker F.XII Unknown 1931 1936
Fokker F.XVIII Unknown 1932 1946
Fokker F.XX Unknown 1933 1936
Fokker F.XXII Unknown 1935 1939
Fokker F.XXXVI Unknown 1935 1939
Lockheed L-049 Constellation 7 1946 Unknown
Lockheed L-749 Constellation 13 Unknown
Lockheed L-749A Constellation 7 Unknown
Lockheed L-1049C Super Constellation 13 1953 1966
Lockheed L-1049G Constellation 6
Lockheed L-1049H Constellation 3
Lockheed L-188C Electra 12 1959 1969
Lockheed Super Electra-14 5 1938 1948
McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30 12 1972 1995
McDonnell Douglas MD-11 10 1993 2014
Vickers V.803 Viscount 9 1957 1966

This cialis canadian prices is cheap and side by side for appointing the medical representative. The medication is absorbed into free viagra tablet the erectile penis tissues. On the other hand, the buy cialis online are produced in geographic locations where the cost of labor is lower as compared to other places. He has to cialis pills free commit himself hitting the opponent consistently with no matter what to generate him down or end his level of resistance.
 

 

 

Airbus A310 PH-AGC KLM

Airbus A310 PH-AGC KLM

Douglas DC-4 ZS-NUR DDA

Douglas DC-9-32 PH-DOB KLM

Douglas DC-9-32 PH-DOB KLM

Douglas DC-10-30 PH-DTD KLM

Douglas DC-10-30 PH-DTD KLM

KLM is the only airline to have operated all Douglas ‘DC’ models other than the DC-1.

KLM Cityhopper

KLM Cityhopper historical fleet
Aircraft Introduced Retired
Fokker F27 1966 1991
Fokker F28-4000 1978 1996
Fokker 50 1991 2010
Fokker 70 1995 2017
Fokker 100 1991 2012
Saab 340B 1991 1998
Fokker 70 PH-KZO KLM Cityhopper

Fokker 70 PH-KZO KLM Cityhopper

Saab 340B PH-KSD KLM Cityhopper

Saab 340B PH-KSD KLM Cityhopper

Fokker F-27 PH-KFL NLM Cityhopper

Fokker F-27 PH-KFL NLM Cityhopper

Fokker F.27-500 Frienship PH-FHF Nederlandse Luchtvaart Maatschappij, Aviodrome

Fokker F.27-500 Frienship PH-FHF Nederlandse Luchtvaart Maatschappij

All photos Rob Vogelaar

Be the first to comment on "KLM, the world’s oldest airline turns 100"

Leave a comment