KLM celebrates 100th anniversary at a ‘royal’ gala occasion in Dubai

The October 2nd event was held under the patronage and in the presence of His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, chairman of Dubai Airports, and attended by Vincent Van Hooff, executive vice president of flight operations representing the KLM executive committee, and Welmer Blom, senior vice president, Middle East, Gulf and India.

Over 250 guests celebrated KLM’s 100-year history of aviation innovation and looked ahead as the airline unveiled its ‘Fly Responsibly’ programmme – KLM’s commitment to leading aviation to a sustainable future.

On October 7, 2019, KLM will officially celebrate its 100th anniversary (KLM 100) and its unique position as the world’s first airline still operating under its original name. KLM is an aviation pioneer and after a century of service and network expansion from the home base in Amsterdam, Netherlands, now serves more than 160 destinations worldwide. As the airline marks its centenary, it is now choosing to look forward and to address the challenges of the next 100 years with a renewed and innovative commitment to a sustainable future.

KLM has invited all industry stakeholders to join together in pursuit of a more sustainable future for aviation, under the banner ‘Fly Responsibly’. Since 2008, KLM has had a Climate Action Plan in place with the goal of reducing CO2 emissions per passenger to 20% by 2020. The CO2Zero programme was introduced in response to customer demand and enables passengers on all KLM flights to make their flights CO2 neutral, quickly and easily with a small contribution. Thanks to fuel efficiency, KLM CO2 emissions are low compared to those within the airline industry. The CO2ZERO service is now available to the industry free of charge, so that all airlines can offer it to their passengers.

Yeshwant Pawar, general manager for the Gulf, Saudi Arabia, Iran & Pakistan at Air France KLM, said:  “KLM first landed in Dubai in 1972 and then Abu Dhabi four years later. We have a lot of shared history and much in common with Dubai and the UAE - diversity, sustainability, hospitality and innovation, respect for heritage and culture. Sustainability is firmly at the centre of how we operate here. Today, we celebrate our 100th anniversary but also look ahead with confidence to a sustainable future. We are joining hands across the industry and inviting the travelling community to join us on this mission – because we can only succeed if we work together. The Dubai gala event was the perfect opportunity to thank our hosts, customers, partners and staff in the UAE, and to unveil our ‘Fly Responsibly’ programme.”