Dutch flag carrier KLM Royal Dutch Airlines has revealed the first five routes on which it plans to deploy its brand-new Airbus A350-900 widebody twinjets from its main hub at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport (AMS). The SkyTeam member plans to put the type into service on October 30, which, according AeroRoutes, is a week later than had initially been planned.
KLM's A350s will initially serve two distinct long-haul intercontinental markets: Africa and North America.
KLM will make history on October 30 by operating its first scheduled passenger flight with the A350. This service will link its main hub at AMS with Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) in Canada, with the type initially serving the KL691/692 rotation five times a week. As more deliveries follow, this frequency will increase to daily on March 3 of next year.
Elsewhere in Canada, a month after the type's launch to Toronto on October 30, KLM is also set to begin flying the A350 to Montréal–Trudeau International Airport (YUL) on November 30. These flights will operate three times a week.
KLM is excited to welcome the A350 into its fleet, according to a statement earlier this week.
"The arrival of KLM’s first Airbus A350 at Schiphol will soon mark an important step in the continued renewal of its fleet. The aircraft is cleaner, quieter, and more fuel-efficient than many current-generation aircraft."
"The arrival of KLM’s first Airbus A350 at Schiphol will soon mark an important step in the continued renewal of its fleet. The aircraft is cleaner, quieter, and more fuel-efficient than many current-generation aircraft."
Away from the lucrative transatlantic market to North America, KLM also has big plans when it comes to the deployment of its A350 fleet on routes to and from long-haul intercontinental destinations in Africa. On this front, two separate triangular routes serving the three main commercial airports in Tanzania are set to begin service with the Airbus A350 in December.
The first will begin on December 1, with KLM sending the A350 twice a week from AMS to Kilimanjaro, then on to Dar Es Salaam, and then nonstop back to Schiphol. Five days later, on December 6, weekly flights from AMS to Zanzibar and back via Dar Es Salaam will commence with the A350. They will run twice a week from January 8 to February 19.
This year has been a mixed bag for KLM as it gets its first A350 over the line and into service. In April, the news emerged that its first A350 had entered final assembly in Toulouse, with the jet being unveiled two months later. It first flew earlier this month, although by then it had also emerged that the type will have to enter service with business class sealed off due to regulatory hiccups.
Here's how Dutch Government regulations make the A350-900 essential for KLM to continue operating from its hub.
As with most of its widebody twinjet aircraft, KLM plans to fit its A350-900s with a three-class seating layout. The configuration will seat a total of 331 passengers, with the best seats in the house being the 34 business-class flatbeds. These are laid out in an angled 1-2-1 setup in the front section of the jet's cabin.
For passengers seeking extra comfort without the business class price tag, there are also 26 premium economy recliners in a 2-4-2 layout. These offer benefits such as increased seat pitch, width, and recline, plus larger 16-inch screens. Meanwhile, passengers in the 271 economy class seats have 13.3-inch screens. Of these seats, 33 are branded Economy Comfort and offer more legroom.
