KLM to launch scheduled services to Malabo and Douala

KLM Royal Dutch Airlines is to launch scheduled services to Malabo in Equatorial Guinea and Douala in Cameroon on July 23, 2003.

The roundtrip service KL 579/580, Amsterdam-Malabo-Douala-Malabo-Amsterdam, will be operated twice weekly, on Wednesdays and Fridays, with Boeing 767-300 ER equipment.

Both of these West African cities are key business destinations in the region, where the economy has grown sharply over the past few years due to the local oil industry.

KLM said it will free up the required Boeing 767 capacity by trimming frequencies on less profitable routes.

"Despite the difficult circumstances facing the aviation industry, KLM is enthusiastic about continuing to invest in expanding its network and services available to its customers," says KLM Managing Director & COO Peter Hartman. "Our expectations are very positive for the flights to and from this important region in West Africa."