The Dutch airline KLM is facing a challenging political environment at its Amsterdam Schiphol hub and is relying on fleet renewal to secure its growth. This was explained by Managing Director Marjan Rintel to “CH-Aviation” during the IATA AGM in Dubai.
Rintel stressed the need for the new fleet, including the Airbus A350, to enable future growth. Discussions about slot capacity at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol are still ongoing, but ultimately there will be capacity constraints, which is why larger and more efficient aircraft such as the A350 and A321 Neo will play a key role.
In September last year, Air France-KLM announced that it would order 50 Airbus A350s to be delivered between 2026 and 2030. These will be used by both Air France and KLM. The exact distribution within the group has not been detailed. KLM also plans to start operating the A321 Neo, but this has been delayed. These aircraft will be used by both the scheduled airline and Transavia Airlines.
In addition, KLM is considering using rail transport as a feeder for short-haul flights to free up slots. However, this would require investments in infrastructure and seamless services such as baggage handling. The current KLM fleet includes A330, Boeing 737 and Boeing 777, among others, with older models gradually being replaced by the new Airbus A350 and Boeing 787 Dreamliner. The retirement of the older Boeing 737 is still being discussed, depending on the supply chain and aircraft arrivals.