KLM invites Flying Dutchman Loyalty Members to name New Airbus Fleet

KLM has invited members of its Flying Dutchman loyalty program to come up with a series of names for its new Airbus A330-200 aircraft that will begin replacing the airline's Boeing 767s in August 2005. KLM said the names should reflect KLM’s identity as well as the theme “Feel at Home.”

KLM has arranged a special naming contest via its Flying Dutchman media. FD members are only allowed to enter the contest by email. The winner and his or her partner will be invited to fly to Toulouse this summer, where they will be given a guided tour of the Airbus assembly plant. They will also attend the delivery ceremony for the first KLM A330.

Further criteria for the A330 names and a full overview of contest rules can be found on www.klm.com. The closing date for the contest is March 18, 2005. KLM Deputy President Mr. P.F. Hartman will chair the jury. Sitting alongside a number of prominent KLM employees are two jury members from outside KLM: the internationally renowned interior designer Piet Hein Eek and the internationally celebrated interior photographer Wijnanda Deroo, who lives in New York. The name of the winner and the winning series of names will be announced in August 2005, when the first KLM A330 lands at Schiphol.

The first Airbus A330-200 will be delivered to KLM in Toulouse in August 2005. The last is expected to join the fleet in December 2006. The arrival of the Airbus marks the second step in KLM's fleet renewal scheme. Since 2003, KLM has added three new Boeing 747-400 ER freighters and ten new Boeing 777s to the fleet.

KLM’s A330-200s will be configured to carry 251 passengers; 30 in World Business Class and 221 in Economy Class. The Airbus A330-200 has a range of 12,300 kilometers.

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