Record-Breaking: KLM Has 13 US Routes This Summer

KLM

IATA/ICAO Code:

KL/KLM

Airline Type:

Full Service Carrier

Hub(s):

Amsterdam Schiphol Airport

Year Founded:

1919

Alliance:

SkyTeam

Airline Group:

Air France-KLM

CEO:

Marjan Rintel

Country:

Netherlands

KLM is the 10th largest provider of non-stop flights between Europe and the US this summer, according to OAG. The Dutch carrier comes after United Airlines, Delta Air Lines (whose top Europe airport is Amsterdam), American Airlines, British Airways, Lufthansa, Air France, Virgin Atlantic, Turkish Airlines, and Aer Lingus.

KLM's US flights are up by 9%

Despite Amsterdam limiting the number of passengers this summer, KLM has 9% more US flights this summer than in the summer of 2019 (S19). This has pushed it up from 11th place to 10th. Helping the rise was the introduction of Austin and a doubling of flights to Las Vegas.

And although less critical, Miami, usually a winter route, will resume in mid-October, 12 days before the start of the Northern Hemisphere winter season.

Also influencing KLM was Norwegian's market exit, the 6th largest Europe-US operator in S19. And KLM has overtaken Icelandair in the US flights race. While Icelandair previously had more services, OAG shows that it remains at 94% of its previous offering.

KLM began Austin in March this year. Photo: via Austin-Bergstrom International Airport.

Stay aware: Sign up for my weekly new routes newsletter.

KLM has 13 US routes this summer

This summer, SkyTeam airline KLM has 13 US passenger routes, up from 11 in S19, its previous highest. The change is from Miami restarting sooner and the introduction of Austin. The Texas capital launched on March 28th this year after the pandemic meant it didn't take off in May 2020 as initially planned. It is now one of four European carriers serving Texas airport, contributing to a record level of European capacity.

Between June 29th and October 29th, the last day of the aviation summer season, KLM's US network is as follows. (I haven't included its vital partner, Delta.) KLM has up to 16x daily flights, with three in every ten by the B777-200ER, now its primary aircraft across the North Atlantic.

JFK: 3x daily; variously by the B777-200ER, B787-9, and B787-10
Los Angeles: 2x daily; B777-200ER, B787-10
San Francisco: up to 11x weekly; B777-200ER, B787-10
Atlanta: 1x daily; B777-300ER
Chicago: 1x daily; B787-10, B777-200ER, B787-9
Houston: 1x daily; B787-9, B777-200ER, B787-10 (just four times)
Washington Dulles: 1x daily; A330-300
Las Vegas: 6x weekly; B787-9
Boston: 4x weekly; A330-300
Minneapolis: 4x weekly; A330-300
Austin: 3x weekly; B787-9
Salt Lake City: 3x weekly; B787-9
Miami: 3x weekly; B777-200ER (restarts October 18th)

KLM's US network summer 2022. Miami restarts in October. Image: GCMap.

Discover more aviation news.

Las Vegas now has 6x weekly flights

The Nevada tourist city joined KLM's network three years ago, in June 2019. It operated 3x weekly until being suspended, like so many others, in March 2020. It returned in December 2021 and gradually rose to 4x weekly. Since May, it has been 6x weekly, its record, although it'll halve this winter.

KLM's entry meant the airport pair was reconnected following the cessation of Arkefly, now TUI fly Netherlands, on it in October 2013. Of course, the leisure airline focused purely on point-to-point passengers, while KLM's service also feeds wider Europe and beyond.

Here's how KLM schedules its US departures (green) and arrivals (blue). Of course, they are mainly like that for connections. Image: OAG.

Half of passengers transited

According to Department of Transportation data, KLM carried 48,901 Las Vegas passengers in 2019, with a seat load factor of 90%. About half transited Amsterdam, with the five largest markets being Paris CDG, Manchester, Stockholm, Copenhagen, and Berlin.

Will you be flying from Amsterdam this year? Let us know in the comments.