KLM to launch 2003/4 Winter Flights Schedule with increases on Asian routes

KLM Royal Dutch Airlines will commence its 2003/04 winter schedule on October 26 with the introduction of the new Boeing 777-200 ER (Extended Range) aircraft type. Partly as a result of this, the roundtrip flights between Amsterdam and Cape Town will be operated nonstop.

The integration of the Dutch and British Fokker fleet operated by KLM cityhopper, will make it possible to utilize the entire European fleet operated by the KLM Group more efficiently.

In line with previous years, flight frequencies and/or capacity will be temporarily reduced somewhat during the winter months to a large number of intercontinental and European destinations.

The winter schedule commences on Sunday, October 26, 2003 and remains in force until Saturday, March 27, 2004. The start of the winter schedule also means an end to utilizing Boeing 747-300s in the KLM route network.

Intercontinental

During the course of the winter schedule a total of six of the ten Boeing 777-200ER aircraft on order will be taken up in the KLM fleet. This equipment will be utilized to service Toronto, Cape Town, New York JFK, Nairobi and Tokyo.

KLM will operate daily service to Johannesburg using Boeing 747-400 equipment and phasing in from five to seven weekly services to Cape Town, using Boeing 777 equipment.

Flight frequency to Tokyo (Narita) will be increased from six to seven a week with effect from March 2004. These flights will be operated using Boeing 747-400 and 777 equipment.

In February, the number of Boeing 747-400 flights to Beijing will rise from three to four a week.

Weekly frequency to St. Maarten will increase from one to three roundtrip flights, of which two will be operated nonstop.

The additional fifth flight frequency introduced this summer to Paramaribo will be maintained by KLM in the new schedule. Flights to the Surinam capital will be operated using Boeing 747-400 equipment on commencement of the winter schedule.

Additionally, the recently initiated services to Malabo and Douala will be continued.

Frequency reductions will be implemented as a result of the traditionally lower demand for transportation during winter on flights to Almaty, Beirut, Bonaire/Guayaquil/Quito, Bonaire/Lima, Casablanca, Miami, San Francisco, Teheran and Vancouver.

Europe

Integration of the European KLM cityhopper fleet will facilitate optimal utilization of the Fokker 100, Fokker 70 and Fokker 50 equipment; also resulting in a more efficient operation of the Boeing 737 in various configurations. On balance, this means that the Fokker 100 will be introduced for many continental destinations and that the Fokker 70 and Boeing 737 will be utilized for more destinations in the U.K.

Flights launched in summer to Trondheim in Norway and Thessaloniki in Greece will also be maintained in the winter schedule.

Additionally, the codeshare agreement expanded this summer with Air Europa - delivering Fuerteventura and Arrecife in Spain as new codeshare destinations - will be continued.

For several weeks, two flights less a day will be operated to the cities of Edinburgh and Glasgow. And, during this period of several "quiet" weeks, KLM will lower its daily flight frequency by one to some twenty-six destinations.