The KLM logo features an image of a crown, which refers to the airline’s Dutch name
Koninklijke Luchtvaart Maatschappij – the royal airline. The crown is a fitting image for today as KLM is celebrating its 100th birthday, making it the world’s oldest airline that has continuously operated under the same name.
“This special day in KLM’s history will be celebrated in airports across the world as well as in Helsinki Airport. Passengers flying with KLM will be in for a treat as they will be delighted with delicacies. They will also have the opportunity to take photos of themselves in front of a decorated photo wall,” says Finavia's marketing coordinator Kati Hollmén.
A real aviation trendsetter
KLM’s first flight, from London to Amsterdam, took place in 1920. The airline grew quickly, and different routes within Europe soon became available. The first routes were flown with Dutch Fokker F.II and F.III aircraft. In 1924, KLM embarked on its longest flight at the time, making the journey from Amsterdam to Batavia (today’s Jakarta). In the 1940s it became the first European airline to fly across the Atlantic to North America, landing in New York.
Even in the beginning there was already a connection to Finland: the anniversary of the Helsinki-Amsterdam route, in operation for 80 years, was celebrated this summer. KLM is one of the forerunners in sustainable air travel, which makes it a good partner for Finavia.
“We have been cooperating with KLM for decades, and we are very happy about that. KLM connects two global air travel hubs by flying between Helsinki Airport and Amsterdam four times a day,” says Petri Vuori, Vice President, Sales and Route Development at Finavia.
In 2004, KLM merged with Air France to become Air France-KLM, but it continued operating under the name KLM. Last year, the airline had 214 planes in its fleet and about 33,000 employees. It flew to 250 destinations, serving over 34 million passengers.
