KLM
KLM at a glance
KLM is the oldest airline in the world still flying under its original name, founded in 1919, and the reason a country of 18 million people has one of Europe's great hub airports: roughly 70% of KLM's Schiphol passengers are transfers, connecting through Amsterdam on a network the Dutch market alone could never support. Together with Air France it forms Air France-KLM, Europe's third legacy group alongside Lufthansa Group and IAG.
Under CEO Marjan Rintel, the airline's defining fight is at home: Schiphol's government-imposed flight caps and noise restrictions strike directly at the transfer model KLM spent a century building. The fleet is mid-renewal, with A321neos replacing 737s on short-haul, a first for an airline that flew Boeing narrowbodies for decades, and 787s and 777s carrying the long-haul network.
Fleet
KLM's fleet is in the middle of a generational switch: Airbus A320neo-family jets are replacing the Boeing 737s that defined its short-haul flying for decades, while the long-haul network runs on 787-9s, 787-10s and 777s, with KLM Cityhopper's Embraer fleet feeding the hub from smaller European cities.
| Aircraft | Role | Fleet Size |
|---|---|---|
| Boeing 737-800 | Short-haul workhorse, being replaced | ~30 |
| Airbus A321neo | New short-haul standard, deliveries since 2024 | ~15 |
| Boeing 777-300ER | High-capacity long-haul | ~16 |
Hub & route network
Everything runs through Schiphol: KLM's network is a pure hub-and-spoke transfer machine, with Cityhopper feeding waves of European connections onto long-haul departures to North America, Asia, Africa and Latin America. That model is exactly what Dutch flight caps and noise limits now constrain, making Schiphol capacity KLM's existential issue.Alliance & partnerships
KLM is a SkyTeam member and a partner in the transatlantic joint venture with Air France, Delta and Virgin Atlantic; Flying Blue, shared with Air France, is one of Europe's largest loyalty programs.Group structure
KLM has been half of Air France-KLM since the 2004 merger, retaining its own brand, Dutch operating certificate and Schiphol hub within the group, alongside low-cost subsidiary Transavia and regional arm KLM Cityhopper.Full specifications
Latest KLM coverage from AeroTime
Frequently asked questions
It is the oldest airline still operating under its original name, founded on October 7, 1919, five years before its first intercontinental flight to Jakarta.
Around 70% of KLM's Schiphol passengers are transfers, so the hub is the network: government flight caps and noise restrictions at Schiphol directly limit the connecting model KLM is built on.
KLM is part of Air France-KLM, the Franco-Dutch group formed in 2004, in which the French and Dutch states both hold stakes alongside public shareholders.