KLM to Celebrate 60 Years Of Kuala Lumpur to Amstredam Services

KLM will be celebrating 60 years of operation on flights between Kuala Lumpur and Amsterdam on the 24 April 2018. KLM is one of Europes' leading long haul airline and this anniversary marks a huge milestone for the airline. The first flight was in 1958 and the airline has continued to operate these flights without fail and has become a huge success.

Operated by a Lockheed Super Constellation with the registration PH-LKG, the first flight between the two cities was inaugurated on April 24th, 1958. The first flight was officially inaugurated by a small Dutch business delegation. The route promoted businesses to set up in Malaysia in addition to further strengthen trade relations between the two countries.

Currently, flights depart both cities using a Boeing 777-200ER or -300ER depending on the dates, which are configured in a 3 class layout which includes Business, Premium Economy and Economy class. The Air France/KLM Malaysia country manager said when asked about the anniversary date, 'We proudly mark KLM's 60 years of scheduled flights to Kuala Lumpur, although KLM had a much earlier presence in Malaysia when in 1924 the first KLM intercontinental flight en route to Jakarta made a refuelling stop in Alor Star, Kedah."

KLM is known for its premium long haul service and product. The airline focuses mainly on its long haul operations, while its subsidiary, KLM Cityhopper, focuses on short/medium haul destinations. The airline operates from Amsterdam Schiphol International Airport. The main airline, KLM, operates a fleet of 116 passenger aircraft at 3 freighters. The Dutch carrier has 17 aircraft orders, consisting of 8 Boeing 787-10s, 1 Boeing 787-9, 4 737-800s and 8 Airbus A350-900s. KLM does have a short/medium haul fleet consisting primarily of Boeing 737-800s, however the airline does focus on its long haul network and relies on the short/medium haul fleet to attract connecting passengers. As one of the oldest airlines in the world, KLM has had to continuously replace its fleet, thus the airlines' average aircraft age is above that of a newer airline like Lufthansa. KLM still have Boeing 747-400s like many other airlines and the airline expects to phase them out by 2021. KLM actually still has 13 Boeing 747-400s still in service flying to the Americas, Africa and Asia.

This anniversary date is a huge achievement for the airline, and shows that Malaysia has been a huge success for KLM and has helped it, and its country, to grow. It is highly likely, that this route will continue to be served by KLM for many years to come.