荷兰皇家航空 (KLM Royal Dutch Airlines)

KLM (disambiguation). KLM Royal Dutch Airlines

IATA ICAO Callsign KL KLM KLM
Founded	7 October 1919; 104 years ago
Hubs	Amsterdam Airport Schiphol
Frequent-flyer program	Flying Blue
Alliance	SkyTeam
Subsidiaries	KLM Cityhopper KLM Asia Martinair Transavia Cygnific
Fleet size	111
Destinations	164
Parent company	Air France–KLM
Headquarters	Amstelveen, Netherlands
Key people	Marjan Rintel (President & CEO)
Founder	Albert Plesman
Revenue	€30 billion (2023)
Net income	€934 million (2023)
Employees	35,410 (2019)
Website	www.klm.com

KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, legally Koninklijke Luchtvaart Maatschappij N.V. (, lit.?'Royal Aviation Company Plc.'), is the flag carrier of the Netherlands. KLM is headquartered in Amstelveen, with its hub at nearby Amsterdam Airport Schiphol. It is a subsidiary of the Air France–KLM group and a member of the SkyTeam airline alliance. Founded in 1919, KLM is the oldest operating airline in the world, and has 35,488 employees with a fleet of 110 (excluding subsidiaries) as of 2021. KLM operates scheduled passenger and cargo services to 145 destinations.

History

Early years

KLM poster featuring the airline's first commercial slogan. It is likely dated around the late 1920s, after it started service to Batavia.

In 1919, a young aviator lieutenant named Albert Plesman sponsored the ELTA aviation exhibition in Amsterdam. Attendance at the exhibition was over half a million, and after it closed, several Dutch commercial interests intended to establish a Dutch airline, which Plesman was nominated to head. In September 1919, Queen Wilhelmina awarded the yet-to-be-founded KNLM its "Royal" ("Koninklijke") predicate. On 7 October 1919, eight Dutch businessmen, including Frits Fentener van Vlissingen, founded KLM as one of the first commercial airline companies. Plesman became its first administrator and director.

The first KNLM flight took place on 17 May 1920. KNLM's first pilot, Jerry Shaw, flew from Croydon Airport, London, to Amsterdam. The flight was flown using a leased Aircraft Transport and Travel de Havilland DH-16, registration G-EALU, which was carrying two British journalists and some newspapers. In 1920, KLM carried 440 passengers and 22 tons of freight. In April 1921, after a winter hiatus, KLM resumed its services using its pilots, and Fokker F.II and Fokker F.III aircraft. In 1921, KLM started scheduled services.

KLM Fokker F-XVIII departing from the Dutch East Indies, 1932

KLM's first intercontinental experimental flight took off on 1 October 1924. The final destination was Jakarta (then called 'Batavia'), Java, in the Dutch East Indies (present-day Indonesia); the flight used a Fokker F.VII with registration H-NACC and was piloted by Jan Thomassen a Thuessink van der Hoop. In 1927, Baltimore millionaire Van Lear Black, who had heard about the 1924 flight, chartered H-NADP to do the same flight, which departed June 15 and went successfully (16 days), and flew back to much rejoicing. This inspired KLM to make a second test flight, which left on 1 October, returning successfully with much experience gained. In September 1929, regular scheduled services between Amsterdam and Batavia commenced. Until the outbreak of the Second World War in 1939, this was the world's longest-distance scheduled service by airplane. By 1926, it was offering flights to Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Brussels, Paris, London, Bremen, Copenhagen, and Malm?, using primarily Fokker F.II and Fokker F.III aircraft.

KLM Douglas DC-2 aircraft Uiver in transit at Rambang airfield on the east coast of Lombok island following the aircraft being placed second in the MacRobertson Air Race from RAF Mildenhall, England, to Melbourne in 1934

In 1930, KLM carried 15,143 passengers. The Douglas DC-2 was introduced on the Batavia service in 1934. The first experimental transatlantic KLM flight was between Amsterdam and Cura?ao in December 1934 using the Fokker F.XVIII "Snip".

In July 1935 the KLM had three major international passenger flight crashes in one week. The "Kwikstaart" crashed in Amsterdam on 14 July, the "Maraboe" in Bushir and on 20 July and the “Gaai” crashed in San Giacomo. The week of 14 to 20 July 1935 is known as the "black week". In these three crashes KLM lost three airplanes and lost crew in two crashes. With an earlierer crash in April of the "Leeuwerik", KLM had lost in 1935 around 15% of its pilots. As a result there was a shortage of crew members and airplanes. The Amsterdam—Milan flight service was as a result taken over by Deutsche Lufthansa.

The first of the airline's Douglas DC-3 aircraft were delivered in 1936; these replaced the DC-2s on the service via Batavia to Sydney. KLM was the first airline to serve Manchester's new Ringway airport, starting June 1938. KLM was the only civilian airline to receive the Douglas DC-5; the airline used two of them in the West Indies and sold two to the East Indies government, and is thus the only airline to have operated all Douglas 'DC' models other than the DC-1.

Second World War

KLM Douglas DC-3 at Manchester Airport in 1947

The outbreak of the Second World War in September 1939 restricted KLM's operations, with flights over France and Germany prohibited, and many of its aircraft painted in over-all orange to limit the potential for confusion with military aircraft. European routes were limited to services to Scandinavia, Belgium and the UK, with flights to Lisbon (bypassing both British and French airspace) starting in April 1940.

When Germany invaded the Netherlands on 10 May 1940, several KLM aircraft—mostly DC-3s and a few DC-2s—were en route to or from the Far East, or were operating services in Europe. Five DC-3s and one DC-2 were taken to Britain. During the war, these aircraft and crew members flew scheduled passenger flights between Bristol and Lisbon under BOAC flight numbers and registration.

On 3 March 1942, Douglas DC-3 PH-ALP "Pelikaan", then registered as PK-AFV, was shot down over Western Australia by Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service Mitsubishi A6M Zeros during the Attack on Broome while carrying a package of diamonds. The DC-3 crash landed at Carnot Bay, 80 kilometers from Broome. Pelikaan was subsequently strafed by the Zeros that had shot it down, killing three passengers and the flight engineer. Diamonds worth an estimated 150,000–300,000 Australian pound were stolen from the wreckage of the aircraft, and nobody has been convicted of the crime.

Douglas DC-3 PH-ALI "Ibis", then registered as G-AGBB, was attacked by the Luftwaffe on 15 November 1942, 19 April 1943, and finally shot down on 1 June 1943 as BOAC Flight 777, killing all passengers and crew.

Some KLM aircraft and their crews ended up in the Australia-Dutch East Indies region, where they helped transport refugees from Japanese aggression in that area.

Although operations paused in Europe, KLM continued to fly and expand in the Caribbean.

Post-World War II

Revenue passenger-kilometers, scheduled flights only, in millions

Year	Traffic
1947	454
1950	766
1955	1,485
1960	2,660
1965	3,342
1971	6,330
1975	10,077
1980	14,058
1985	18,039
1995	44,458

Source: ICAO Digest of Statistics for 1947–55, IATA World Air Transport Statistics 1960–1995

After the end of the Second World War in August 1945, KLM immediately started to rebuild its network. Since the Dutch East Indies were in a state of revolt, Plesman's priority was to re-establish KLM's route to Batavia. This service was reinstated by the end of 1945. Domestic and European flights resumed in September 1945, initially with a fleet of Douglas DC-3s and Douglas DC-4s. On 21 May 1946, KLM was the first continental European airline to start scheduled transatlantic flights between Amsterdam and New York City using Douglas DC-4 aircraft. By 1948, KLM had reconstructed its network and services to Africa, North and South America, and the Caribbean resumed.

Lockheed L-749A Constellation of KLM in 1953

Long-range, pressurized Lockheed Constellations and Douglas DC-6s joined KLM's fleet in the late 1940s; the Convair 240 short-range pressurized twin-engine airliner began European flights for the company in late 1948.

During the immediate post-war period, the Dutch government expressed interest in gaining a majority stake in KLM, thus partially nationalizing it. Plesman wanted KLM to remain a private company under private control; he allowed the Dutch government to acquire a minority stake in the airline. In 1950, KLM carried 356,069 passengers. The expansion of the network continued in the 1950s with the addition of several destinations in western North America. KLM's fleet expanded with the addition of new versions of the Lockheed Constellation and Lockheed Electra, of which KLM was the first European airline to fly.

KLM Vickers Viscount 803

On 31 December 1953, the founder and president of KLM, Albert Plesman, died at the age of 64. He was succeeded as president by Fons Aler. After Plesman's death, the company and other airlines entered a difficult economic period. The conversion to jet aircraft placed a further financial burden on KLM. The Netherlands government increased its ownership of the company to two-thirds, thus partly nationalizing it. The board of directors remained under the control of private shareholders.

On 25 July 1957, the airline introduced its flight simulator for the Douglas DC-7C – the last KLM aircraft with piston engines – which opened the transpolar route from Amsterdam via Anchorage to Tokyo on 1 November 1958. Each crew flying the transpolar route over the Arctic was equipped with a winter survival kit, including a 7.62 mm selective-fire AR-10 carbine for use against polar bears, in the event the plane was forced down onto the polar ice.

Jet age

The four-engine turboprop Vickers Viscount 800 was introduced on European routes in 1957. Beginning in September 1959, KLM introduced the four-engine turboprop Lockheed L-188 Electra onto some of its European and Middle Eastern routes. In March 1960, the airline introduced the first Douglas DC-8 jet into its fleet. In 1961, KLM reported its first year of losses. In 1961, the airline's president Fons Aler was succeeded by Ernst van der Beugel. This change of leadership, however, did not lead to a reversal of KLM's financial difficulties. Van der Beugel resigned as president in 1963 for health reasons. Horatius Albarda was appointed to succeed Ernst van der Beugel as president of KLM in 1963. Albarda initiated a reorganization of the company, which led to the reduction of staff and air services. In 1965, Albarda died in an air crash and was succeeded as president by Dr. Gerrit van der Wal. Van der Wal forged an agreement with the Dutch government that KLM would be once again run as a private company. By 1966, the stake of the Dutch government in KLM was reduced to a minority stake of 49.5%. In 1966, KLM introduced the Douglas DC-9 on European and Middle East routes.

KLM Lockheed L-188 Electra turboprop airliner in 1965

The new terminal buildings at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol opened in April 1967, and in 1968 the stretched Douglas DC-8-63 ("Super DC-8") entered service. With 244 seats, the Super DC-8 was the largest airliner in scheduled passenger service at the time, although its size was surpassed by that of the Boeing 747 first flown in 1969. On 6 March 1967, KLM ordered the 747 as its first Boeing aircraft, which marked the beginning of its use of widebody aircraft and an improved relationship between the airline and Boeing since the 1939 crash of a Boeing 307 Stratoliner carrying KLM representatives on a demonstration flight. To negotiate for lower unit prices and form a maintenance pool for its 747 fleet, KLM formed the KSS maintenance consortium in 1969 with Scandinavian Airlines and Swissair. Despite showing initial interest in the prototype 747-100 variant, KLM instead acquired the higher-gross-weight 747-200B powered by Pratt & Whitney JT9D engines, becoming the first airline to put the type into service on 14 February 1971. In March 1971, KLM opened its current headquarters in Amstelveen. In 1972, it purchased the first of several McDonnell Douglas DC-10 aircraft—McDonnell Douglas's response to the 747.

KLM Boeing 747-206B in 1971.

In 1973, Sergio Orlandini was appointed to succeed Gerrit van der Wal as president of KLM. At the time, KLM, as well as other airlines, had to deal with overcapacity. Orlandini proposed to convert KLM 747s to "combis" that could carry a combination of passengers and freight in a mixed configuration on the main deck of the aircraft. In November 1975, the first of these seven Boeing 747-200BM Combi aircraft were added to the KLM fleet. The airline previously operated DC-8 passenger and freight combi aircraft as well and later operated Boeing 747-400 combi aircraft.

The 1973 oil crisis, which caused difficult economic conditions, led KLM to seek government assistance in arranging debt refinancing. The airline issued additional shares of stock to the government in return for its money. In the late 1970s, the government's stake had again increased to a majority of 78%, effectively re-nationalizing it. The company management remained under the control of private stakeholders.

1980s and 1990s

KLM Douglas DC-8-63 at London Heathrow Airport in 1982. The DC-8 was the mainstay of the KLM narrowbody jet fleet.

In 1980, KLM carried 9,715,069 passengers. In 1983, it reached an agreement with Boeing to upgrade ten of its Boeing 747-200 aircraft (Three 747-200Bs and seven 747-200Ms) with the stretched-upper-deck modification. The work started in 1984 at the Boeing factory in Everett, Washington, and finished in 1986. The converted aircraft were called Boeing 747-200SUD or 747-300, which the airline operated in addition to three newly built Boeing 747-300s manufactured from the ground up. In 1983, KLM took delivery of the first of ten Airbus A310 passenger jets. Sergio Orlandini retired in 1987 and was succeeded as president of KLM by Jan de Soet. In 1986, the Dutch government's shareholding in KLM was reduced to 54.8 percent. It was expected that this share would be further reduced during the decade. The Boeing 747-400 was introduced into KLM's fleet in June 1989.

International expansion

With the liberalization of the European market, KLM started developing its hub at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol by feeding its network with traffic from affiliated airlines. As part of its development of a worldwide network, KLM acquired a 20% stake in Northwest Airlines in July 1989. In 1990, KLM carried 16,000,000 passengers. KLM president Jan de Soet retired at the end of 1990 and was succeeded in 1991 by Pieter Bouw. In December 1991, KLM was the first European airline to introduce a frequent flyer loyalty program, which was called Flying Dutchman.

Joint venture

 

A McDonnell Douglas DC-10 operated by Northwest Airlines (tail number N237NW) in a hybrid Northwest-KLM livery (1999). This photo shows the starboard (above) and port side of the aircraft (below). 

In January 1993 the United States Department of Transportation granted KLM and Northwest Airlines anti-trust immunity, which allowed them to intensify their partnership. As of September 1993, the airlines operated their flights between the United States and Europe as part of a joint venture. In March 1994, KLM and Northwest Airlines introduced World Business Class on intercontinental routes. KLM's stake in Northwest Airlines was increased to 25% in 1994.

KLM introduced the Boeing 767-300ER in July 1995. In January 1996, KLM acquired a 26% share in Kenya Airways, the flag-carrier airline of Kenya. In 1997, Pieter Bouw resigned as president of KLM and was succeeded by Leo van Wijk. In August 1998, KLM repurchased all regular shares from the Dutch government to make KLM a private company. On 1 November 1999, KLM founded AirCares, a communication and fundraising platform supporting worthy causes and focusing on underprivileged children.

KLM renewed its intercontinental fleets by replacing the Boeing 767s, Boeing 747-300s, and eventually, the McDonnell Douglas MD-11s with Boeing 777-200ERs and Airbus A330-200s. Some 747s were withdrawn from service first. The MD-11s remained in service until October 2014. The first Boeing 777 was received on 25 October 2003, while the first Airbus A330-200 was introduced on 25 August 2005.

Air France–KLM merger

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; both Charles de Gaulle Airport and Amsterdam Airport Schiphol would become key hubs. In February 2004 the European Commission and United States Department of Justice approved the proposed merger of the airlines. In April 2004 an exchange offer in which KLM shareholders exchanged their KLM shares for Air France shares took place. Since 5 May 2004 Air France–KLM has been listed on the Euronext exchanges in Paris, Amsterdam and New York. In September 2004, the merger was completed by creation of the Air France–KLM holding company. The merger resulted in the world's largest airline group and should have led to an estimated annual cost-saving of between €400 million and €500 million.

It did not appear that KLM's longstanding joint venture with Northwest Airlines—which merged with Delta Air Lines in 2008—was affected by the merger with Air France. KLM and Northwest joined the SkyTeam alliance in September 2004. Also in 2004, senior management came under fire for providing itself with controversial bonuses after the merger with Air France, while 4,500 jobs were lost at KLM. After external pressure, management gave up on these bonuses.

In March 2007 KLM started to use the Amadeus CRS reservation system, along with partner Kenya Airways. After 10 years as president of the airline, Leo van Wijk resigned from his position and was succeeded by Peter Hartman.

2010s

A KLM Boeing 737-700 with a "100 year" livery taking off from Amsterdam Schiphol Airport

Beginning in September 2010, KLM integrated the passenger division of Martinair into KLM, transferring all personnel and routes. By November 2011, Martinair consisted of only the cargo and maintenance division. In March 2011, KLM and InselAir reached an agreement for mutual cooperation on InselAir destinations, thus expanding its passenger services. Beginning 27 March 2011, KLM passengers could fly to all InselAir destinations through InselAir's hubs in Cura?ao and Sint Maarten. This cooperation was extended to a code share agreement in 2012. In early 2018, the cooperation with Inselair was terminated, including any interlining agreements, after Inselair found itself in financial difficulties which forced the airline to sell off part of its fleet and cancel some of its routes.

On 20 February 2013, KLM announced that Peter Hartman would resign as president and CEO of KLM on 1 July 2013. He was succeeded by Camiel Eurlings. Hartman remained employed by the company until he retired on 1 January 2014. On 15 October 2014, KLM announced that Eurlings, in joint consultation with the supervisory board, had decided to immediately resign as president and CEO. As of this date, he was succeeded by Pieter Elbers. KLM received the award for "Best Airline Staff Service" in Europe at the World Airline Awards 2013. This award represents the rating for an airline's performance across both airport staff and cabin staff combined. It is the second consecutive year that KLM won this award; in 2012 it was awarded with this title as well. On 19 June 2012, KLM made the first transatlantic flight fueled partly by sustainable biofuels to Rio de Janeiro. This was the longest distance any aircraft had flown on bio fuels.

In 2019, KLM celebrated its centennial, as it was founded in 1919. Since it is the oldest airline still operating under its original name, it was the first airline to achieve this feat.

2020s

Being heavily affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, KLM cut at least 6,000 jobs in total. It also said that the decisions of the government to have all the passengers and crew COVID-19 tested before flying will have an impact on its flights. On 16 December 2021, Air France-KLM announced an order for 100 Airbus A320neos to be divided between Transavia and KLM. In July 2022, KLM was forced to cut their summer schedule due to disruption at airports across Europe.

Corporate affairs and identity

Business trends

Key business and operating results of KLM are shown below (as at year ending 31 December):

	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020	2021	2022
Revenue (€ m)	8,904	9,473	9,688	9,643	9,905	9,800	10,340	10,955	11,075	5,120	6,065	10,679
Net profit (€ m)	1	?98	133	341	54	519	?497	573	449	?1546	?1258	744
Number of employees	37,169	35,787	35,662	35,685	35,488	34,363	34,872	35,410	36,549	32,667	31,551	33,358
Number of passengers (m)	25.3	25.8	26.6	27.7	28.6	30.4	32.7	34.2	35.1	11.2	14.0	25.8
Passenger load factor (%)	84.3	85.7	85.8	86.5	86.4	87.2	88.4	89.1	89.4	52.2	49.6	83.4
Revenue passenger kilometres (m)	84.2	86.3	89.0	91.5	93.2	97.7	103.5	107.7	109.5	33.9	40.9	82.3
Number of aircraft (at year end) (incl. cargo)	204	203	206	202	199	203	204	214	229	218	218	208
Notes/sources

Management

As of July 2022, KLM's corporate leader is its president and chief executive officer (CEO) Marjan Rintel, who succeeded Pieter Elbers. The president and CEO is part of the larger Executive Committee, which manages KLM and consists of the statutory managing directors and executive vice-presidents of KLM's business units that are represented in the Executive Committee. The supervision and management of KLM are structured in accordance with the two-tier model; the Board of Managing Directors is supervised by a separate and independent Supervisory Board. The Supervisory Board also supervises the general performance of KLM. The Board of Managing Directors is formed by the four Managing Directors, including the CEO. Nine Supervisory Directors compose the Supervisory Board.

Head office

KLM head office in Amstelveen

KLM's head office is located in Amstelveen, on a 6.5-hectare (16-acre) site near Schiphol Airport. The airline's current headquarters was built between 1968 and 1970. Before the opening of the new headquarters, the airline's head office was on the property of Schiphol Airport in Haarlemmermeer.

Subsidiaries

Companies in which KLM has a stake include:

Company	Type	Principal activities	Incorporated in	Group's equity shareholding
Transavia Airlines CV	Subsidiary	Airline	Netherlands	100%
KLM Cityhopper BV	Subsidiary	Airline	Netherlands	100%
KLM Cityhopper UK Ltd.	Subsidiary	Airline	United Kingdom	100%
KLM Asia	Subsidiary	Airline	Taiwan	100%
Martinair Holland NV	Subsidiary	Cargo airline	Netherlands	100%
EPCOR BV	Subsidiary	Maintenance	Netherlands	100%
KLM Catering Services Schiphol BV	Subsidiary	Catering services	Netherlands	100%
KLM Financial Services	Subsidiary	Financing	Netherlands	100%
KLM Flight Academy BV	Subsidiary	Flight academy	Netherlands	100%
KLM Health Services BV	Subsidiary	Health services	Netherlands	100%
KLM UK Engineering Ltd.	Subsidiary	Engineering and maintenance	United Kingdom	100%
Cygnific	Subsidiary	Sales and service	Netherlands	100%
Schiphol Logistics Park	Joint controlled entity	Logistics	Netherlands	53% (45% voting right)

Former subsidiaries

Subsidiaries, associates, and joint ventures of KLM in the past include:

Company	Type	Year of establishment	Year of rejection	Notes	References
Cobalt Ground Solutions	Subsidiary	1995	2017	UK based ground handling (60% share)
Air UK	Associate	1987	1998	Renamed KLM uk upon obtaining majority stake
Braathens	Joint venture	1998	2003	—
Buzz	Subsidiary	2000	2003	Sold to Ryanair
De Kroonduif	Subsidiary	1955	1963	Acquired by Garuda Indonesia
KLM alps	Subsidiary	1998	2001	Franchise agreement with Air Engiadina and Air Alps
KLM exel	Subsidiary	1991	2004	—
KLM Helikopters	Subsidiary	1965	1998	Sold to Schreiner Airways
KLM Interinsulair Bedrijf (KLM-IIB)	Subsidiary	1947	1949	Nationalized and renamed Garuda Indonesia
KLM uk	Subsidiary	1998	2002	Merged with KLM Cityhopper
NetherLines	Subsidiary	1988	1991	Merged with NLM CityHopper and formed KLM Cityhopper
NLM CityHopper	Subsidiary	1966	1991	Merged with NetherLines and formed KLM Cityhopper
High Speed Alliance	Subsidiary	2007	2014	5% (10% voting) share before it became NS International
KLM Equipment Services BV	Subsidiary		2024	Sold to TCR International

KLM also worked closely with ALM Antillean Airlines in the Caribbean in order to provide air service for the Dutch controlled islands in the region with KLM aircraft such as the Douglas DC-8 and McDonnell Douglas DC-9-30 being operated by KLM flight crews on behalf of ALM.

KLM Asia

A Boeing 747-400 Combi in KLM Asia livery. Pictured is PH-BFC, the aircraft involved in the KLM Flight 867 incident. This aircraft served the subsidiary from 1995 to 2012 before being transferred to KLM and repainted in the mainline KLM livery, where it remained in service until its retirement on 14 March 2018.

KLM Asia (Chinese: 荷蘭亞洲航空公司; pinyin: Helan Yazhou Hangkong Gongsī) is a wholly owned subsidiary registered in Taiwan (The People's Republic of China). The subsidiary was established in 1995 to allow KLM to continue operating flights to Taipei without compromising the mainline KLM's traffic rights for destinations in the People's The People's Republic of China. Aircraft operated by the subsidiary retain their Dutch registration and the basic KLM livery but receive several modifications: the flags of both the Netherlands and European Union are removed while the Dutch Crown logo is replaced with the KLM Asia wordmark.

The fleet of aircraft operated by the subsidiary consists of seven Boeing 777-200ER and two Boeing 777-300ER aircraft as of March 2020. As of 2012, KLM used the "KLM Asia" brand to fly to Taipei and the aircraft had to fly over China. Previously KLM used Boeing 747s for its services to Taiwan. In 2012, it started operating the revised Amsterdam-Taipei-Manila route with Boeing 777-200ER aircraft.

KLM Asia aircraft are also occasionally used to service other destinations in the wider KLM network.

Branding

Dirk Roosenburg designed the KLM logo at its establishment in 1919; he intertwined the letter K, L, and M, and gave them wings and a crown. The crown was depicted to denote KLM's royal status, which was granted at KLM's establishment. The logo became known as the "vinklogo" in reference to the common chaffinch. The KLM logo was largely redesigned in 1961 by F.H.K. Henrion. The crown, redesigned using a line, four blue circles and a cross, was retained. In 1991, the logo was further revised by Chris Ludlow of Henrion, Ludlow & Schmidt. In addition to its main logo, KLM displays its alliance status in its branding, including "Worldwide Reliability" with Northwest Airlines (1993–2002) and the SkyTeam alliance (2004–present).

Livery and uniforms

A current KLM pilot wing

One of KLM's Douglas DC-6s in 1953

A KLM Lockheed L-188 Electra in the airline's 1950s livery

KLM has utilized several major liveries since its founding, with numerous variations on each. Initially, many aircraft featured a bare-metal fuselage with a stripe above the windows bearing the phrase "The Flying Dutchman". The rudder was divided into three segments and painted to match the Dutch flag. Later aircraft types sometimes bore a white upper fuselage, and additional detail striping and titling. In the mid-1950s, the livery was changed to feature a split cheatline in two shades of blue on a white upper fuselage and angled blue stripes on the vertical stabilizer. The tail stripes were later enlarged and made horizontal, and the then-new crown logo was placed in a white circle. The final major variation of this livery saw the vertical stabilizer painted completely white with the crown logo in the center. All versions of this livery had small "KLM Royal Dutch Airlines" titles, first in red, and later in blue.

Since 1971, the KLM livery has primarily featured a bright blue fuselage, with variations on the striping and details. Originally a wide, dark blue cheatline covered the windows and was separated from the light grey lower fuselage by a thin white stripe. The KLM logo was placed centrally on the white tail and the front of the fuselage. In December 2002, KLM introduced an updated livery in which the white strip was removed and the dark-blue cheatline was significantly narrowed. The bright blue colour was retained and now covers most of the fuselage. The KLM logo was placed more centrally on the fuselage while its position on the tail and the tail design remained the same. In 2014, KLM modified its livery with a swooping cheatline that wraps around the entire forward fuselage. The livery was first introduced on Embraer 190s.

In April 2010, KLM introduced new uniforms for its female cabin attendants, ground attendants and pilots at KLM and KLM Cityhopper. The new uniform was designed by Dutch couturier Mart Visser. It retains the KLM blue colour that was introduced in 1971 and adds a touch of orange—the national colour of the Netherlands.

Marketing slogans

KLM has used several slogans for marketing throughout its operational history:

• "The businessman travels, sends, and receives by KLM" (translated from Dutch) (1920s)
• "The Flying Dutchman"
• "Bridging the World" (1994)
• "The Reliable Airline"
• "Journeys of Inspiration" (2009–present)

Social media

KLM has an extensive presence on social media platforms and also runs a blog. Customers can make inquiries through these channels. The airline also uses these networks to inform customers of KLM news, marketing campaigns and promotions.

The airline's use of social media platforms to reach customers peaked when the Icelandic volcano Eyjafjallaj?kull erupted in April 2010, causing widespread disruption to air traffic. Customers used the social networks to contact the airline, which used them to provide information about the situation. Following the increased use of social media, KLM created a centralized, public social media website named the Social Media Hub in October 2010.

KLM has developed several services based on these social platforms, including:

• Meet & Seat; this service allows passengers to find information about people who will be on the same KLM flight by connecting their Facebook or LinkedIn profiles to the flight. Meet & Seat facilitates contact with fellow travelers who have the same background or interests. By launching Meet & Seat, KLM became the first airline to integrate social networking into its regular flight process.
• Trip Planner; this platform uses Facebook to organize a trip with Facebook friends.
• Twitterbots; KLM operates several Twitterbots, including one to request the current status of a flight and one to request the lowest KLM fares to a destination on a specified date or month.

In June 2013, KLM launched its own 3D strategy game "Aviation Empire" for iOS and Android platforms. The game allows users to experience airline management. Players manage KLM from its establishment until the present; they can invest in a fleet, build a network with international destinations and develop airports. The game combines the digital world with the real world by enabling the unlocking of airports by GPS check-ins.

Philanthropy

KLM started KLM AirCares, a program that aids underprivileged children in developing countries to which KLM flies, in 1999. The airline collects money and airmiles from passengers. In 2012, new applications for support from the program were suspended because it needed an overhaul.

Destinations

KLM and its partners serve 163 destinations in 70 countries on five continents from their hub at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol. Codeshare agreements bring the total amount of destinations available via KLM to 826.

Codeshare agreements

KLM has codeshare agreements with the following airlines:

• Aerolineas Argentinas
• Aeromexico
• Air Astana
• airBaltic
• Air Europa
• Air France
• Air Serbia
• Belavia
• Bulgaria Air
• China Airlines
• China Eastern Airlines
• China Southern Airlines
• Copa Airlines
• Croatia Airlines
• Czech Airlines
• Delta Air Lines
• Etihad Airways
• Garuda Indonesia
• Georgian Airways
• Gol Transportes Aereos
• Gulf Air
• IndiGo
• ITA Airways
• Kenya Airways
• KLM Cityhopper
• Korean Air
• KM Malta Airlines
• Loganair
• Malaysia Airlines
• Middle East Airlines
• Pegasus Airlines
• Saudia
• Sichuan Airlines
• TAROM
• Transavia
• Vietnam Airlines
• Virgin Atlantic
• WestJet
• Wider?e
• Winair
• XiamenAir

Fleet

Fleet strategy

KLM's first of 8 Boeing 787-10 aircraft was delivered on 28 June 2019; it featured 100th anniversary markings.

On 19 June 2013, KLM ordered 7 Airbus A350-900s. In June 2019, Air France–KLM announced that KLM will not take up any of the group's ordered A350s, because of fleet rationalization purposes.

CEO Ben Smith has announced at Air France's Investor Day (5 November 2019) in Paris that "in the near future", KLM will only use the 777 and 787 as their long-haul fleet, retiring their 13 A330's.

In December 2021, Air France-KLM ordered 100 Airbus A320neo family aircraft to replace KLM and Transavia’s Boeing 737 Next Generation and Air France’s Airbus A320’s.

On 25 September 2023, Air France-KLM announced that they had signed an agreement with Airbus for a total of 50 Airbus A350-900 and A350-1000 aircraft, with an option for 40 further aircraft. The type is set to serve intercontinental flights from 2026, replacing its fleet of Boeing 777-200ERs, Airbus A330-200s and Airbus A330-300s.

Special liveries

PH-BKA in a special 100 Years livery

PH-BVA painted in a special "Orange Pride" livery

KLM has several aircraft painted in special liveries; they include:

• PH-BVA, a Boeing 777-300ER, features an orange forward fuselage that fades into the standard blue to commemorate the Netherlands national team's participation in the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. On 20 November 2023 KLM launched a new version of this livery in which the fade was replaced by a Dutch flag.
• PH-KZU, a Fokker F70, had been applied with a special livery featuring Anthony Fokker prior to its phase-out, the founder of Fokker, commemorating the airline's long-standing history with Fokker aircraft and the phase-out of the Fokker 70 aircraft in October 2017.
• Several aircraft bear the silver SkyTeam alliance livery, including PH-BVD (a 777-300ER), PH-BXO (a 737-900), and PH-EZX (a KLM Cityhopper ERJ-190).
• PH-BKA, a Boeing 787-10, features the standard KLM livery with a 100 wrapped around its lettering on the plane, this was to celebrate KLM's 100th anniversary as an established airline.

Cabin

KLM has three cabin classes for international long-haul routes; World Business Class, Premium Comfort and Economy. Part of the Economy cabin has a higher seat pitch and is sold as Economy Comfort. Personal screens with audio-video on-demand, satellite telephone, SMS, and e-mail services are available in all cabins on all long-haul aircraft. European short-haul and medium-haul flights have Economy seats in the rear cabin, and Economy Comfort and Europe Business in the forward cabin.

World Business Class

A Business Class seat on board a former refurbished KLM Boeing 747-400

Economy Comfort and Economy Class seats on board a KLM Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner

World Business Class is KLM's long-haul business class product. Seats in the older World Business Class are 20 inches (51 cm) wide and have a 60-inch (150 cm) pitch. Seats can be reclined into a 170-degree angled flat bed with a length of 75 inches (190 cm). Seats are equipped with a 10.4-inch (26 cm) personal entertainment system with audio and video on demand in the armrest, privacy canopy, massage function and laptop power ports. World Business Class seating is in a 2–2–2 abreast arrangement on all Airbus A330s.

In March 2013, KLM introduced a new World Business Class seat to the long-haul fleet. Dutch designer Hella Jongerius designed the new cabin. The diamond-type seat is manufactured by B/E Aerospace and is currently installed on all Airbus A330s and Boeing 777s. The seats were also refurbished on former KLM Boeing 747-400s between 2013 and 2014. The new seats are fully flat and offer 17-inch (43 cm)-high definition personal entertainment systems. When fully flat, the bed is about 2 metres (6.6 ft) long. The cabin features a cradle-to-cradle carpet made from old uniforms woven in an intricate pattern, which is combined with new pillows and curtains with a similar design.

A completely new design of Business Class seat was introduced with the launch of KLM's Boeing 787; this aircraft's business class seats are based on the Zodiac Cirrus platform used by Air France. The new seats lie fully flat, with a 1-2-1 layout so every passenger has direct aisle access, a large side-storage area and 16-inch (41 cm) HD video screen.

The tableware and cutlery for business class in-flight service was designed by Marcel Wanders. Dutch fashion stylists Viktor & Rolf designed amenity kits for World Business Class passengers. A new design will be introduced each year and the color of the kits will change every six months. The kit contains socks, eye mask, toothbrush, toothpaste, earplugs and Viktor & Rolf lip balm.

In 2022, KLM announced they would retrofit Boeing 777 aircraft in their fleet (notably, the 777-300 and 777-200) with seats in a 1-2-1 reverse herringbone configuration while installing Premium Comfort seats. These new seats will feature a "door" for extra privacy.

Europe Business Class

Europe Business Class is KLM's and KLM Cityhopper's short-haul business-class. Europe Business Class seats are 17-inch (43 cm) wide and have an average pitch of 33 inches (84 cm). Middle seats in rows of three are blocked to increase passengers' personal space. Europe Business Class seats feature extra legroom and recline further than regular Economy Class seats. In-seat power is available on all Boeing 737 aircraft's. Europe Business Class has no personal entertainment. Seating is arranged 3–3 abreast with the middle seat blocked on the Boeing 737 aircraft, and a 2–2 abreast arrangement on the Embraer E-Jet family and Embraer E-Jet E2 aircraft.

Premium Comfort

In 2022, KLM announced they would retrofit their long haul fleet to include Premium Comfort. Premium Comfort will be a new cabin in front of Economy Comfort, with between 21 and 28 new seats featuring a 13" touch screen, a movable leg- and footrest, 7.8 inches recline (20 cm) and up to 6.7 inches (17 cm) more pitch than Economy seats. Passengers in Premium Comfort can also enjoy improved food and beverage service, as well as SkyPriority benefits.

Economy Comfort

Economy Comfort is part of the economy class cabin offered on all KLM and KLM Cityhopper flights and provides passengers with more leg room and recline. Economy Comfort seats on long-haul flights have 4 inches (10 cm) more pitch than Economy Class, a 35–36-inch (89–91 cm) pitch and recline up to 7 inches (18 cm); double the recline of Economy. Economy Comfort seats on short-haul flights have 3.5 inches (8.9 cm) more pitch, totaling 33.5–34.5-inch (85–88 cm), and can recline up to 5 inches (13 cm) (40%) further. Except for the increased pitch and recline, seating and service in Economy Comfort is the same as in Economy Class. Economy Comfort is located in the front of the Economy Class; passengers can exit the aircraft before Economy passengers.

Economy Comfort seats can be reserved by Economy Class passengers. The service is free for passengers with a full-fare ticket, for Flying Blue Platinum members and Delta Air Lines SkyMiles Platinum or Diamond members. Discounts apply for Flying Blue Silver or Gold members, SkyTeam Elite Plus members and Delta SkyMiles members.

Economy Class

The Economy Class seats on long-haul flights have a 31-to-32-inch (79–81 cm) pitch and are 17.5 inches (44 cm) wide. All seats are equipped with adjustable winged headrests, a 9-inch (23 cm) PTV with AVOD, and a personal handset satellite telephone that can be used with a credit card. Economy Class seats in Airbus A330-300 aircraft are also equipped with in-seat power. The Economy Class seats on short-haul flights have a 30-to-31-inch (76–79 cm) pitch and are 17 inches (43 cm) wide. The Economy Class seats on short-haul flights do not feature any personal entertainment. The long-haul Economy Class seating is in a 3–4–3 abreast arrangement on the Boeing 747-400, Boeing 777-300ER aircraft and on Boeing 777-200ER aircraft, a 3-3-3 abreast arrangement on the Boeing 787-9 aircraft, and a 2–4–2 abreast arrangement on the Airbus A330 aircraft. The short-haul Economy Class seating is in a 3–3 abreast arrangement on the Boeing 737 aircraft and a 2–2 abreast arrangement on the Embraer 175 and 190 aircraft, and the seats on these aircraft are 17 inches (43 cm) wide.

Services

In-flight entertainment

KLM's in-flight entertainment system is available in all classes on all widebody aircraft's; it provides all passengers with Audio/Video on Demand (AVOD). The system includes interactive entertainment including movies, television programs, music, games, and language courses. About 80 movies including recent releases, classics and world cinema are available in several languages. The selection is changed every month. The in-flight entertainment system can be used to send SMS text messages and emails to the ground. Panasonic's 3000i system is installed on all Boeing 747-400, Boeing 777-200ER, and on most of the Airbus A330-200 aircraft. All Airbus A330-300 and Boeing 777-300ER aircraft, and some Airbus A330-200 aircraft are fitted with the Panasonic eX2 in-flight entertainment system.

KLM provides a selection of international newspapers to its passengers on long-haul flights; on short-haul flights they are offered only to Europe Business Class passengers. A selection of international magazines is available for World Business Class passengers on long-haul flights. All passengers are provided with KLM's in-flight magazine, the Holland Herald. On board flights to China, South Korea and Japan, the airline offers in-flight magazines EuroSky (China and Japan), in either Chinese or Japanese, and Wings of Europe (South Korea) in Korean. On 29 May 2013, KLM and Air France launched a pilot scheme to test in-flight WiFi internet access. Each airline equipped one Boeing 777-300ER in its fleet with WiFi, which passengers can use with their WiFi-enabled devices. Wireless service was available after the aircraft reached 20,000 feet (6,100 m) in altitude.

Catering

World Business Class passengers are served a three-course meal. Each year KLM partners with a leading Dutch chef to develop the dishes that are served on board. Passengers in Europe Business Class are served either a cold meal, a hot main course, or a three-course meal depending on the duration of the flight. All chicken served in World and Europe Business Class meets the standards of the Dutch Beter Leven Keurmerk (Better Life Quality Mark). KLM partnered with Dutch designer Marcel Wanders to design the tableware of World and European Business Class.

Economy Class passengers on long-haul flights are served a hot meal and a snack, and second hot meal or breakfast, depending on the duration of the flight. On short-haul flights, passengers are served sandwiches or a choice of sweet or savoury snack, depending on the duration and time of the day. If the flight is at least two hours long, "stroopwafel" cookies are served before the descent. Most alcoholic beverages are free-of-charge for all passengers. After a successful trial period, KLM introduced a la carte meals in Economy Class on 14 September 2011; Dutch, Japanese, Italian, cold delicacies, and Indonesian meals are offered.

Special meals, include children's, vegetarian, medical, and religious meals, can be requested in each class up to 24 or 36 hours before departure. On flights to India, China, South Korea, and Japan, KLM offers authentic Asian meals in all classes. Meals served on KLM flights departing from Amsterdam are provided by KLM Catering Services.

In September 2016, KLM launched the world's first in-flight draft beer under the partnership with Heineken. The new service made its premiere aboard a flight to Cura?ao in the airline's World Business Class cabin.

Delft Blue houses

KLM Delft blue houses

Since the 1950s, KLM has presented its World Business Class passengers with a Delft blue miniature traditional Dutch house. These miniatures are reproductions of real Dutch houses and are filled with Dutch genever. Initially the houses were filled with Bols liqueur, which in 1986 was changed to Bols young genever.

In 1952, KLM started to give the houses to its First Class passengers. With the elimination of First Class in 1993, the houses were handed out to all Business Class passengers. The impetus for these houses was a rule aimed at curtailing a previously widespread practise of offering incentives to passengers by limiting the value of gifts given by airlines to US$0.75. KLM did not bill the Delft Blue houses as a gift, but as a last drink on the house, which was served in the house.

Every year, a new house is presented on 7 October, the anniversary of KLM's founding in 1919. The number on the last-presented house thus represents the number of years KLM has been in operation. Special edition houses—the Royal Palace of Amsterdam and the 17th century Cheese Weighing House De Waag in Gouda—are offered to special guests, such as VIPs and honeymoon couples.

Ground services

KLM offers various check-in methods to its passengers, who can check in for their flights at self-service check-in kiosks at the airport, via the Internet, or a mobile telephone or tablet. At destinations where these facilities are not available, check-in is by an airline representative at the counter. Electronic boarding passes can be received on a mobile device while boarding passes can be printed at airport kiosks.

Since 4 July 2008 KLM, in cooperation with Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, has been offering self-service baggage drop-off to its passengers. The project started with a trial that included one drop-off point. The number of these points has gradually increased; as of 8 February 2012 there are 12 of them. KLM passengers can now drop off their bags themselves. Before they are allowed to do that they are being checked by a KLM employee.

In November 2012, KLM started a pilot scheme at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol to test self-service boarding. Passengers boarded the aircraft without any interference of a gate agent by scanning their boarding passes, which opened a gate. KLM partner airline Air France ran the same pilot at its hub at Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport. The pilot ran until March 2013, which was followed by an evaluation.

KLM is the first airline to offer self-service transfer kiosks on its European and intercontinental routes for passengers connecting through Amsterdam Airport Schiphol. The kiosks enable connecting passengers to view flight details of connecting flights, to change seat assignments or upgrade to a more comfortable seat. When a passenger misses a connecting flight, details about alternative flights can be viewed on the kiosk and a new boarding pass can be printed. Passengers who are entitled to coupons for a beverage, meal, the use of a telephone, or a travel discount can have these printed at the kiosk.

Flying Blue

Air France-KLM's frequent flyer program, Flying Blue, awards miles based on the distance traveled, ticket fare and class of service. As well as KLM and Air France, other airlines that adopted the Flying Blue programme include Transavia, Aircalin, and TAROM. Membership in the program is free. When flying, members earn Experience Points (XP) and Award Miles.

Experience Points are used to determine membership level and remain valid until the end of the qualification period, which lasts for 1 year from counting from the member's first flight. XP can be earned with KLM, Air France, Transavia, Aircalin, TAROM, and other SkyTeam partners. The Flying Blue programme is divided into four tiers: Explorer, Silver (SkyTeam Elite), Gold (SkyTeam Elite Plus) and Platinum (SkyTeam Elite Plus). The membership tier depends on the number of Experience Points earned and is recalculated each qualification period. Flying Blue privileges are additive by membership tier; higher tiers include all benefits listed for prior tiers. There is an additional fifth tier, Platinum for Life, which can be obtained after 10 consecutive years of Platinum membership. After the Platinum for Life status is obtained, re-qualification is not required.

Award Miles can be exchanged for rewards and expire after 24 months without flying. Award Miles can be earned on flights with SkyTeam member airlines as well as on other Flying Blue partners including Air Corsica, Air Mauritius, airBaltic, Aircalin, Bangkok Airways, Chalair Aviation, China Southern Airlines, Copa Airlines, Gol Transportes Aereos, Japan Airlines, Malaysia Airlines, Qantas, Transavia, Twin Jet, WestJet and Winair. Award Miles are redeemable for free tickets, upgrades to a more expensive seating class, extra baggage allowance, wifi on board, and lounge access. They can also be donated to various charities, or can be spent in the Flying Blue Store.

In June 2022, Brim Financial announced they will launch an Air France-KLM co-branded credit card in Canada.

Accidents and incidents

Tenerife airport disaster

At the time of the accident, the Boeing 747 named Rhine was only six years old.

The Tenerife disaster, which occurred on 27 March 1977, remains the accident with the highest number of airliner passenger fatalities, as well as the most recent fatal and notable incident involving a KLM aircraft. 583 people died when a KLM Boeing 747-200B attempted to take off without clearance, and collided with a taxiing Pan Am Boeing 747-100 at Los Rodeos Airport on the Canary Island of Tenerife, Spain. No one on the KLM 747 survived (14 crew, 234 passengers were killed) while 61 of the 396 passengers and crew on the Pan Am aircraft survived. Pilot error from the KLM aircraft was the primary cause. Owing to a communication misunderstanding, the KLM captain thought he had clearance for takeoff. Another cause was dense fog, meaning the KLM flight crew was unable to see the Pan Am aircraft on the runway until immediately prior to the collision. The accident had a lasting influence on the industry, particularly in the area of communication. An increased emphasis was placed on using standardized phraseology in air traffic control (ATC) communication by both controllers and pilots alike, thereby reducing the chance for misunderstandings. As part of these changes, the word "takeoff" was removed from general usage, and is only spoken by ATC when clearing an aircraft to take off.

Other accidents and incidents

This is a list of accidents and incidents involving Dutch airline KLM. The airline has suffered 64 incidents since 1921.

Notable incidents with fatalities

1920s–1930s

• 24 April 1924 – 1924 KLM Fokker F.III disappearance: Fokker F.III H-NABS disappeared while on a Lympne–Rotterdam flight with three on board; the aircraft probably struck the water at full speed while flying under fog. All KLM aircraft were required to be equipped with radio communication systems as a result of this accident.
• 25 June 1925: Fokker F.III H-NABM struck trees and crashed at Locquignol, France while flying too low in poor visibility, killing all four on board.
• 9 July 1926: Fokker F.VII H-NACC crashed in thick fog near Wolverthem, Belgium while attempting to land, killing the pilot and passenger.
• 22 August 1927: Fokker F.VIII H-NADU crashed near Sevenoaks, England, following failure of the tailfin and rudder. One crewmember was killed.
• 24 July 1928 – 1928 KLM Fokker F.III Waalhaven crash: Fokker F.III H-NABR stalled and crashed at Waalhaven after striking several ship masts after takeoff; one passenger drowned when the fuselage sank. The pilot had experience in the Fokker F.VII and not the F.III and began the takeoff too early.
• 6 December 1931: Fokker F.VII PH-AFO Ooievaar crashed at Bangkok while attempting to take off, killing three of seven on board. A ventilation hatch above the cockpit opened which spoiled lift and prevented the aircraft from taking off. The plane departed the end of the runway, struck a berm, and came to rest upside down in a rice field.
• 20 December 1934 – 1934 KLM Douglas DC-2 crash: Douglas DC-2-115A PH-AJU Uiver crashed at Rutbah Wells, Iraq, killing all occupants. The aircraft had participated in the MacRobertson Air Race in October 1934, and won the handicap division. It was on its first flight after return from the race and was en route to the Netherlands East Indies carrying Christmas mail when it crashed.
• 6 April 1935: Flight 676, operated by Fokker F.XII PH-AFL Leeuwerik, struck a mountain 15 km (9 mi) from Brilon, Germany while flying too low, killing all seven on board. The aircraft was flying low, possibly so the pilot could maintain visual contact with the ground. The aircraft entered a valley and encountered heavy snow, but could not get out of the valley and it crashed.
• 14 July 1935 – 1935 Amsterdam Fokker F.XXII crash: Fokker F.XXII PH-AJQ Kwikstaart crashed and burned just outside Schiphol after both left side engines failed due to a defect in the fuel system, killing four crew and two passengers. Fourteen occupants survived. More powerful fuel pumps were installed in the Fokker F.XXII and the hand pump was changed so that it could be used regardless of the fuel tap position. Similar aircraft types were also removed from service and changes were made so that this type of failure would not happen again.
• 20 July 1935 – 1935 San Giacomo Douglas DC-2 crash: Douglas DC-2-115E PH-AKG Gaai crashed near the San Bernardino Pass near Pian San Giacomo due to wing and fuselage icing, killing all three crew and all 10 passengers.
• 18 December 1935 :Koolhoven F.K.43 PH-AJJ collided in mid-air with a LVA Fokker C.I (526) over Schiphol Airport; the FK.43 lost control and crashed, killing the pilot; the C.I also crashed, but its pilot survived.
• 9 December 1936: Douglas DC-2-115E PH-AKL Lijster lost control and crashed into a house after taking off from Croydon Airport, killing 15 of the 17 people on board, including Juan de la Cierva, inventor of the autogyro.
• 3 April 1937: Douglas DC-3-194B PH-ALP Pluvier was being delivered to KLM when it struck Mount Baldy, Arizona in poor weather, killing all eight on board.
• 28 July 1937: Douglas DC-2-115L PH-ALF Flamingo crashed in a field near Beert, Belgium following an unexplained in-flight fire and mid-air explosion, killing all 15 on board. The cause of the fire was not determined, but it likely began in the cabin. Following this accident, non-combustible paneling and paint would be used on all Douglas aircraft. KLM also made changes to prevent sparks coming in contact with fuel.
• 6 October 1937: Douglas DC-3-194B PH-ALS Specht crashed on take-off from Talang Betoetoe Airport following engine failure, killing four of 11 on board.
• 14 November 1938: Douglas DC-3-194D PH-ARY IJsvogel struck the ground and crashed while on approach to Schiphol Airport for reasons unknown, killing six of 19 on board. Crew errors were blamed. Following this accident, it was recommended that some instruments be made more visible in all DC-3 cockpits.
• 9 December 1938: Lockheed 14-WF62 Super Electra PH-APE Ekster crashed on takeoff from Schiphol Airport during a training flight after the pilot switched off the right engine too soon, killing the four crew. KLM adjusted its training schedule after this accident.
• 10 June 1939: Koolhoven F.K.43 PH-AJK Krekel stalled and crashed at Vlissingen, killing all three on board.
• 26 September 1939: Douglas DC-3-194G PH-ASM Mees was flying from Malmo to Amsterdam when it was attacked by a German fighter over the North Sea, killing one of 12 on board. Despite being hit by 65 bullets, the aircraft was able to land safely at Schiphol Airport. Following this incident, all KLM aircraft were repainted yellow with "HOLLAND" in capital letters on the fuselage (the Netherlands was neutral during WWII).

1940s

• 14 November 1946: Douglas C-47A PH-TBW crashed at Schiphol Airport following repeated attempts to land in poor weather, killing all 26 on board, including Dutch writer Herman de Man.
• 26 January 1947: Douglas DC-3C PH-TCR pitched up, stalled and crashed after takeoff from Copenhagen, killing all 22 on board, including Prince Gustaf Adolf of Sweden, American actress and singer Grace Moore and Danish film actress Gerda Neumann. An airport employee had forgotten to remove the gust locks securing the elevators.
• 20 October 1948: Lockheed L-049 Constellation PH-TEN Nijmegen crashed near Prestwick, Scotland due to crew errors, killing all 40 aboard.
• 23 June 1949: Lockheed L-749-79-33 Constellation PH-TER Roermond, piloted by Hans Plesman—the son of CEO Albert Plesman—broke apart and crashed into the sea off Bari after it entered a high speed dive for unknown reasons, probably due to autopilot failure, killing all 33 on board.
• 12 July 1949: Lockheed L-749-79-33 Constellation PH-TDF Franeker crashed into a 674-foot (205 m) hill in Jagruti Nagar, Ghatkopar, near Bombay (now Mumbai), India due to pilot error (although sabotage was not ruled out), killing all 45 aboard, including 13 American news correspondents.

1950–1977

• 2 February 1950: Douglas C-47A PH-TEU crashed in the North Sea 40 mi (64 km) off the Dutch coast following an unexplained in-flight fire, killing all seven on board. The aircraft was operating an Amsterdam-London passenger service. A Danish ship captain stated that an engine was on fire when the aircraft came down.
• 22 March 1952: Flight 592, operated by Douglas DC-6 Koningin Juliana, crashed at Frankfurt while flying too low for reasons unknown, killing 45 of the 47 occupants.
• 23 August 1954: Flight 608, operated by Douglas DC-6B Willem Bontekoe, crashed between Shannon, Ireland, and Schiphol in the North Sea, 40 kilometres (25 mi) from IJmuiden for reasons unknown, killing all 21 on board.
• 5 September 1954: Flight 633, operated by Lockheed L-1049C-55-81 Super Constellation Triton, ditched in the River Shannon after takeoff from Shannon Airport. Twenty eight of the 56 people on board (46 passengers and 10 crew) were killed.
• 16 July 1957: Flight 844, operated by Lockheed L-1049C-55-81 Super Constellation Neutron, crashed in the sea near Biak, after takeoff from Mokmer Airport at Biak on its way to Manila. The pilot made a low farewell pass over the island, but the aircraft lost altitude, crashed into the sea and exploded, killing 48 of 58 on board.
• 14 August 1958: Flight 607-E, operated by L-1049H-01-06-162 Super Constellation Hugo de Groot flying from Amsterdam to New York via Shannon, crashed into the ocean 180 kilometres (110 mi) off the coast of County Galway, Ireland for reasons unknown, probably due to an overspeeding propeller, killing all 99 on board.
• 19 February 1958: Flight 543, operated by Douglas DC-6B PH-DFK Jan Huygen van Linschoten, ran off the runway while landing at Almaza Airport, Egypt. The co-pilot died after he was struck by the still-rotating number one propeller when he escaped the aircraft through an emergency window. The aircraft was repaired and returned to service.
• 12 June 1961: Flight 823, operated by Lockheed L-188C Electra Sirius, crashed on approach to Cairo International Airport due to pilot error, killing 20 of 36 on board.
• 25 October 1968: KLM Aerocarto Douglas C-47A PH-DAA flew into Tafelberg Mountain, Suriname, following an engine failure while on a survey flight. The aircraft collided with the mountain in cloudy conditions, killing three of the five people on board.
• 27 March 1977: Flight 4805 collided on the runway with Pan Am Flight 1736 in heavy fog at Tenerife Airport, resulting in 583 fatalities. Both aircraft were 747s. Although the Pan American 747 had 61 survivors, all aboard the KLM aircraft perished.

2020s

• 29 May 2024: A person died after being ingested into the engine of an Embraer 190 operating as KLM Cityhopper Flight 1341. The incident occurred on the airport's apron during pushback as the aircraft was preparing to depart for Billund. The investigation concluded that the person died by suicide.

Notable incidents without fatalities

• 18 May 1921: Fokker F.III H-NABK (c/n 1507) suffered landing gear failure on takeoff from Hamburg due to a poor runway surface; all three on board survived.
• 21 May 1921: Fokker F.III H-NABL (c/n 1508) crashed and flipped upside down at Hekelingen, South Holland while attempting an unexplained emergency landing; all three on board survived. Although the aircraft was written off, it was rebuilt as c/n 1533 with the same registration.
• 2 September 1921: de Havilland DH.9B H-NABP crashed at Waalhaven while attempting an emergency landing following an engine fire; the pilot survived. This was the first official accident involving a KLM aircraft.
• 26 October 1921: Fokker F.III H-NABL (c/n 1533) crashed while on approach to Rotterdam from London. The aircraft landed in low visibility, struck the ground and crashed upside down. The pilot, the sole occupant, survived and although the aircraft was written off, it was rebuilt as c/n 1530, re-registered H-NABR and returned to service, but was destroyed in a 1928 crash.
• 17 May 1922: Fokker F.III H-NABT struck a tree and crashed at Hythe, Kent in poor visibility while on approach to Croydon; all four on board survived.
• 17 July 1923: Fokker F.III H-NABM stalled and crashed while on approach to Croydon Airport after the engine lost power; all four on board survived. The aircraft was written off and salvaged for parts.
• 29 October 1923: Fokker F.III H-NABH struck a sand bank at Goodwind Sands, Kent following engine failure; all four on board survived. The radiator had failed, causing the engine to quit.
• 4 November 1925: Fokker F.III H-NABI crashed in an open field at Hamburg shortly after takeoff in poor weather; all three on board survived.
• 21 June 1926: Fokker F.VII H-NACL ditched in the English Channel off Hythe, Kent following engine failure, all five on board survived. The pilot had forgotten to open the fuel valve.
• 12 July 1927: Fokker F.VIIa H-NADQ crashed at Boisdinghem, Pas-de-Calais while attempting an emergency landing following mechanical failure; all eight on board survived.
• 11 April 1928: Fokker F.VIII H-NAEE crashed at Nigtevecht while on approach to Amsterdam following engine failure; all 11 on board survived.
• 2 October 1928: Fokker F.VIIb/3m H-NAFC made an emergency landing at a race track at Cawnpore, India due to fuel exhaustion; all three on board survived.
• 19 October 1929: Fokker F.VIIb/3m PH-AGB struck trees and crashed in hilly terrain near Konia, Istanbul while attempting to return to Istanbul following left engine failure; all three crew survived.
• 19 February 1931: Fokker F.VIIb/3m PH-AFO Ooievaar nosed over and crashed at Popelin, Czech Republic following an emergency landing after getting lost in fog; all three on board survived. Although the aircraft was repaired and returned to service, it was lost in a crash four months later.
• 4 August 1931: Fokker F.IX PH-AFK suffered a loss of power on the left engine shortly after takeoff from Waalhaven Airport. The pilot decided to continue but while flying over a shipyard the engine failed completely and the aircraft lost altitude. While returning to the airport the aircraft struck a 13 m (43 ft) tall marine beacon, tearing off a portion the left wing. Control was lost and the aircraft crashed on a rail line just outside the airport. All 15 on board survived. The cause of the engine failure was not determined, but fuel system problems were not ruled out.
• 26 May 1933: Koolhoven F.K.43 PH-AIL Luis stalled and crashed at Groningen during a training flight following a loss of control while in a left turn; both pilots survived.
• 17 July 1935 - 1935 KLM Bushehr incident: Douglas DC-2 PH-AKM Maraboe crashed and burned on takeoff from Bushehr, Iran after the right main gear broke off due to an uneven runway. All occupants were rescued.
• 15 July 1936: Fokker F.VIIb/3m PH-AEZ Zwaluw lost control and crashed upside down while taxiing at Haamstede after encountering strong winds in a storm; all three crew survived. The aircraft was being moved to a safe place due to threatening weather at the airport when the accident occurred.
• 7 May 1937: Douglas DC-2-115E PH-AKI Kievit made an emergency landing on a beach near Glyfada, Greece; all 11 on board survived. The Athens area was experiencing a severe thunderstorm at the time of the incident.
• 17 December 1937: Koolhoven F.K.43 PH-AKC Citroenvlinder stalled and crashed at Groningen during a training flight; both pilots survived.
• 6 June 1939: Douglas DC-2 PH-AKN Nachtegaal crashed at Schiphol Airport during a single-engine training flight, killing one person on the ground; all four crew survived. The aircraft was rebuilt and returned to service until it was destroyed in a German air raid on 10 May 1940.
• 10 May 1940: During the German invasion of the Netherlands, nine KLM aircraft  were destroyed in a German air raid at Schiphol Airport by aircraft from KG 4. Carley Jumbo PH-AFI, Fokker F.VII PH-ACJ, Fokker F.VIIa PH-AEB, Fokker F.VIIa PH-ACT, Koolhoven FK.43 PH-AJL, Koolhoven FK.43 PH-AKB, and Koolhoven FK.48 PH-AJX were also destroyed at Schiphol Airport by German bombing. Fokker F.VIII PH-OTO was destroyed by German bombing at Waalhaven Airfield.
• 29 December 1941: KNILM Douglas DC-3 PK-ALN Nandoe (formerly KLM PH-ALN) was destroyed on the ground by Japanese fighters at Medan, North Sumatra, Dutch East Indies, however there were no occupants on board.
• 6 November 1946: Douglas C-47A PH-TBO crashed near Shere on approach to Croydon Airport after a flight from Amsterdam. All 20 passengers and crew survived the accident. The altimeter had been set incorrectly.
• 27 December 1947: Douglas C-47A PH-TCV crashed near Leeuwarden after the left wing struck a church steeple; the aircraft belly-landed and skidded across some ditches which broke off both propellers. All 15 on board survived.
• 8 March 1948: Boeing Canada PB2B-1 Canso PK-CTC crashed shortly after takeoff from Poso, Indonesia; all 13 on board survived.
• 1 May 1948: Douglas DC-6 PH-TKW Koningin Wilhelmina skidded off the runway and crashed at Schiphol Airport during a training flight due to possible propeller control problems; all five crew survived, but the brand-new aircraft was written off.
• June 16, 1948: Douglas DC-4-1009 PH-TCF Friesland stalled and crashed short of the runway at Schiphol Airport due to pilot error; all 27 on board survived. The pilot had adopted an incorrect approach configuration with an approach speed that was too low with full flaps selected, causing the aircraft to stall.
• 23 March 1952: Lockheed L-749A Constellation PH-TFF Venlo suffered a No. 3 propeller fatigue failure and subsequent engine fire during landing in Bangkok. All 44 passengers and crew escaped shortly before the fire completely consumed the aircraft. A Thai ground crewman ran into the burning aircraft and returned with an infant who had been left behind.
• 1 January 1953: Douglas C-54B PH-TDL Groningen force-landed in the desert 17 miles from Dhahran Airport due to fuel exhaustion after the crew diverted twice due to poor visibility. All 66 passengers and crew on board survived. The pilot was later reprimanded by KLM and temporarily demoted to co-pilot.
• 25 May 1953: Convair CV-240-4 PH-TEI Paulus Potter lost altitude and stalled just after takeoff from Schiphol Airport. The aircraft belly-landed on the runway and slid off, crossed a road and came to rest in a field. All 34 passengers and crew survived, however, two people who were watching the aircraft died when the aircraft crossed the road. The cause of the crash was not determined, but elevator control problems were blamed.
• 11 June 1961: While flying over the Atlantic Ocean at 17000 feet en route to Prestwick, a vibration developed in the number one engine and propeller of Flight 756, operated by Douglas DC-7C PH-DSN Noordsee. Airspeed was lost and the aircraft began descending. Fifteen minutes after the vibration began, while the crew was preparing to ditch the aircraft, the engine suddenly broke loose and fell off. The aircraft continued to Prestwick where it landed safely; all 81 on board survived. The vibration was caused by a failure in the number one forward propeller shaft bearing.
• 3 June 1983: McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30 PH-DTE Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart left the runway while landing at Tocumen International Airport, causing the nosegear to collapse; all 27 on board survived. The aircraft was repaired and returned to service.
• 15 December 1989: Flight 867, operated by Boeing 747-406 City of Calgary, suffered failure of all four engines after it flew through a volcanic ash cloud from Mount Redoubt en route to Tokyo from Amsterdam. While descending the crew were able to restart the engines and the aircraft performed an emergency landing at Anchorage with no casualties to the 245 on board.
• 28 January 1994: Flight 136, a Fokker 100 (PH-KLG), landed hard at Schiphol International Airport, collapsing the right main landing gear; all 76 on board survived. The aircraft was repaired and returned to service.
• 28 November 2004: Flight 1673, operated by Boeing 737-400 PH-BTC David Livingstone, suffered a birdstrike upon rotation from Amsterdam Airport Schiphol. The aircraft continued onward to Barcelona International Airport, where the nose gear collapsed. No injuries or casualties were reported. The aircraft was written off.
• 13 December 2013: Boeing 737-8K2 PH-BXZ was struck by US Airways Flight 798, a Boeing 757, while parked at Schiphol International Airport. A computer glitch showed gate D49 (where the 737 was parked) as not in use, but it actually was as the 737 had been delayed. The 757 was cleared to taxi to gate D51, not realizing that the 737 was still there. While taxiing into position at D51, the 757's right outer wing sheared off the left winglet on the 737; the 757 suffered damage to the wing leading edge. There were no casualties.
• 13 February 2019: Flight 601, a Boeing 747-406M (PH-BFV), struck Flight 623, a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner (PH-BHA) during pushback at Schiphol International Airport. The 747's right winglet struck the right side horizontal stabilizer on the 787. Both aircraft were grounded for repairs with the 747 returning to service three days later. The incident remains under investigation.
• 9 July 2019: Flight 1699, a Boeing 737-8K2 (PH-BXH), struck EasyJet Europe Flight U28868, an Airbus A320, during pushback at Schiphol International Airport. The A320's left winglet struck the left side elevator on the 737. Both aircraft were grounded for inspection and repairs. The incident remains under investigation.
• 21 February 2020: Flight 808, a Boeing 777-306 (PH-BVU), had a female passenger started coughing after departure from Manila. Over Russia, she suddenly felt unwell and fell into her seat. Another passenger alerted the cabin crew who provided medical assistance, a Dutch doctor helped the cabin crew to perform CPR in the aircraft galley. The flight performed an emergency landing at Stockholm Arlanda Airport at 04:50am (CET). Upon arrival the woman was pronounced dead. The severity of the emergency landing required the aircraft to undergo additional inspection.
• 15 November 2024: Flight 661, an Airbus A330-203 (PH-AOA), en route to Houston-George Bush Intercontinental Airport, returned to Amsterdam Airport Schiphol after birds were ingested into both of its engines during takeoff from runway 24. Engine vibrations were reported by the crew during the initial climb.
• 28 December 2024: Flight 1204, operated by a 24.1-year-old Boeing 737-800 (PH-BXM), flying from Oslo Airport, Gardermoen to Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, diverted to and made an emergency landing at Torp Sandefjord Airport in Norway after a loud noise was heard shortly after takeoff. The aircraft veered off the runway into the grass at low speed before coming to a safe stop. All 176 passengers and six crew members on board were unharmed. It was later determined that the aircraft had suffered a hydraulic failure. The incident is being investigated by the Norwegian Accident Investigation Board, local authorities, and KLM's technical team.

Hijackings

• 16 April 1962: Douglas DC-7C PH-DSH Caribische Zee was hijacked by one man demanding to be flown to East Berlin.
• 19 March 1971: A man armed with an Uzi submachine gun, stole a car at Zanderij International Airport and drove to a parked KLM Douglas DC-8 (PH-DCM, Henry Dunant) on the apron. He boarded the aircraft and threatened a flight attendant. An hour later two border police agents boarded the aircraft and convinced the hijacker to surrender.
• 25 November 1973: Flight 861, operated by Boeing 747-206B Mississippi, was hijacked over Iraq by Palestinian terrorists. The aircraft took off in Amsterdam and was bound for Tokyo. After several hours it made its final landing in Dubai. The passengers were released earlier in Malta. Everyone survived the hijacking.

KLM Flight 861 was one of the first hijackings of a Boeing 747. At the time of the incident, the 747, nicknamed "Mississippi" had been the first of the airline.

• 4 September 1976: Flight 366, operated by McDonnell Douglas DC-9-33RC PH-DNM City of Madrid flying from Malaga to Amsterdam with an intermediate stop in Nice, was hijacked shortly after takeoff from Nice by Palestinian terrorists. After aborted attempts to land in Tunis, the aircraft landed in Larnaca, Cyprus. After refuelling, the hijackers attempted to reach Palestine before the aircraft was turned around by Israeli F-4 Phantoms. After returning to Cyprus, the passengers were released unharmed and the hijackers surrendered.
• 6 August 1978: Douglas DC-9-32 PH-DNS City of Arnhem was hijacked by one person who demanded to be flown to Algiers; the hijacker was taken down.
• 23 December 1987: Flight 343, a Boeing 737-306 (PH-BDE), was hijacked to Rome by a 15-year-old boy who claimed to have a bomb in his luggage. At Rome, the hijacker demanded 1 million dollars and to be flown to the US. He allowed 60 passengers to leave the aircraft while negotiations began. He was later overpowered by police when he was lured from the aircraft, ostensibly to be driven to another aircraft to be flown to New York. No weapon was found.
• 15 August 1993: Flight 110, a Boeing 737-406 (PH-BDS), was hijacked by a lone 40-year-old Egyptian man. He claimed to have a bomb and demanded to be flown to New York, apparently to force the release of Egyptian cleric Shaykh Omar Abdel Rahman, who was in custody on immigration violations. Several of Rahman's followers were charged in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing. The hijacker also demanded the UN to enforce sanctions against Serbia in the Balkan conflict. The aircraft landed at Dusseldorf, ostensibly to refuel. The hjiacker released everyone on board except two crew and negotiations began. He set a deadline for the release of the Shaykh, and threatened to blow up the aircraft if this demand wasn't met. Ten hours after landing, German GSG 9 commandos stormed the aircraft and arrested the hijacker without incident.

Notable employees

• Jacob Veldhuyzen van Zanten, pilot; internationally known for causing the airport disaster in 1977 at Tenerife, Spain, largely due to his misunderstanding communication between his plane and the air traffic controller
• Ingrid de Caluwe
• Bob Hiensch, flight attendant
• Joop van Werkhoven
• Leo Visser, pilot
• Lisa Westerhof, pilot
• King Willem-Alexander, guest pilot; monarch