KLM serves 164 airports in 2024; 12 destinations joined network since 2019 but 27 have been removed

KLM recently made headlines by welcoming its first Airbus A321neo, which will enter commercial service on September 16 from Amsterdam to Berlin, Copenhagen and Stockholm ARN.

According to Planespotters.net, KLM itself has 108 aircraft. Alongside the A321neo, it has the A330-200/300, 737-700/800/900, 777-200ER/300ER and 787-9/10. KLM Cityhopper has 65 Embraer E170s/E175s/E195-E2s.

Airbus widebodies are critical, and KLM has A350-900/1000s on order to replace A330s/777-200ERs. However, its narrowbody fleet has been staunchly Boeing. The first A321neo begins to change this, with A320neos also ordered to replace its 737 NGs.

The UK remains KLM’s leading country

According to Cirium schedules data, KLM has virtually half (49.9%) of Amsterdam’s one-way available seats in 2024. The SkyTeam carrier’s capacity is only slightly below the 2019 level, which was not helped by Amsterdam’s slot situation and proposed flight limit. It appears from the outside to be resolved.

KLM’s passenger aircraft will operate to 61 countries in 2024. The UK is the leading nation, as it has been for years, with KLM providing the regional connectivity that British Airways does not. About 15% of KLM’s capacity is deployed there with 17 UK airports served, more than in any other country. Cityhopper’s Embraer jets are vital. Next is the US with 14 routes (more with JV partner Delta).

Between 2019 and 2024, 14 countries exited KLM’s network: Angola, Bahrain, Barbados, Cuba, Egypt, Kuwait, Liberia, Mauritius, Namibia, Oman, Russia (due to the war), Sierre Leone, Sri Lanka and Ukraine (due to the war). Some existed only during the COVID period. Only two countries joined recently: Serbia and Trinadad and Tobago, both in 2021.

164 non-stop and one-stop destinations this year

The 370-kilometre route to London LHR is KLM’s leading market. It had 53-weekly flights in August. Interestingly, capacity has reduced by 15% compared to 2019. According to Cirium, this is due to flights falling from 70 to 53, partly offset by larger gauge aircraft increasing seats/flight from 150 to 160.

Comparing KLM’s network to 2019 shows that Oslo has joined the top 10, up from #13. It replaced Paris CDG, which was #4 before the pandemic when it had 368,000 one-way seats in 2019. The SkyTeam Amsterdam-CDG route has fallen to #21. KLM’s capacity reduction has been somewhat offset by sibling Air France’s increase.

Many airports have joined its network or been removed

Examining KLM’s destination changes since 2019 indicates that 12 airports have joined its network and which are still served. They are shown below in launch date order; only two have started in 2023/2024, probably influenced by Amsterdam’s then uncertainty over expansion. Frequencies based on August 2024:

• 30 March 2020: Cork (14-weekly)
• 25 October 2020: Poznan (7)
• 10 December 2020: Zanzibar (2)
• 13 May 2021: Belgrade (14)
• 19 June 2021: Palma (8)
• 26 June 2021: Dubrovnik (16)
• 16 October 2021: Port of Spain (3)
• 2 November 2021: Cancun (winter seasonal)
• 28 March 2022: Austin (3)
• 3 December 2022: Rovaniemi (winter seasonal)
• 26 March 2023: Rennes (7; replaced Air France)
• 27 October 2024: Portland (3-weekly when it begins; replaces Delta)

While 12 destinations have joined KLM’s network, 27 are no longer served, including three that ended in March 2024. Oslo TRF was part of the airline’s map for 20+ years. The year refers to the last time each airport had KLM flights:

• 2024: Dresden, Graz, Oslo TRF
• 2023: Bahrain, Barbados, Katowice, Kuwait, Muscat
• 2022: Aarhus, Cairo, Kyiv KBP (due to the war), Moscow SVO (due to the war), St Petersburg (due to the war),
• 2021: Chengdu CTU, Hangzhou, Verona
• 2020: Abu Dhabi, Fortaleza, Havana, Luanda, Växjö, Windhoek, Xiamen
• 2019: Colombo, Freetown, Mauritius, Monrovia