KLM
Let's talk about some fun KLM stuff for a change. Just because I'm loaned out to Delta, doesn't mean I don't keep up-to-date with KLM's daily operations. On the contrary!
First of all my friend Robin just completed his last MD-11 flight for KLM. Some of you may know that most Cabin Attendants at KLM have a package of 3 aircraft. 737 and 747 is standard and one additional aircraft. This can be the MD-11, 777 or A330. Now a few years back there was a shortage of Cabin Attendants on the 777 and they asked for volunteers for the 4th aircraft. You may think: the more the merrier... but you have to maintain your status on the aircraft type and do flight safety test for each aircraft every few months. But Rob volunteered for the 777. Now that Martinair crew are being taken over by KLM, they asked everyone with a fourth aircraft type to give one up. With pain in his heart Rob gave up the MD-11. I say with pain, because the MD-11 flies to his favorite destination (Bonaire) and his home country (Suriname). But because the destinations whch are more fun to work are on the 777, he gave up the MD-11. You have to remember that besides the tropical, sunny destinations there are also destinations like Tehran, Bahrain, Muscat, Abu Dhabi and Almaty.
In-flight to Amsterdam
At the gate in Quito, Ecuador
Britta & Rob @ UIO
Robbedoes @ BON
Crew getting ready to go @ BON
Britta & Rob @ BON
These three Attendants will drop the MD-11
Last arrival for Rob in AMS
My friends Dini & Isolde in Tehran. Women (even cabin crew) must cover up!
Then KLM also inaugurated its first commercial flight to Xiamen XMN in China. XMN is KLM's seventh Chinese destination. They are actively investing and have high hopes for China. The flight was welcomed with a nice ceremony and my friend Michiel was a Cabin Attendant on board. Just like most China bound flights, half of the crew were Chinese based Flight Attendants. As per tradition, it nicknamed the aircraft 'city of Xiamen'.
City of Xiamen
KLM first commercial flight to XMN
KLM also flies to Hong Kong HKG, Beijing PEK, Hangzhou HGH, Shanghai PVG, Chengdu CTU and Taipei TPE (Taiwan). They have come a long way! There was a time that the Chinese government was not going to grant KLM landing rights in China! To keep it simple: KLM wanted to fly to China and Taiwan. But there was some political tension between China and Taiwan. China sees Taiwan as part of China and Taiwan was seeing itself as an independant country. So any airline that had services to Taiwan, would not get landing rights in China. To circumvent this problem, KLM established KLM Asia.
KLM Asia 747-400
It was registered in Taiwan as a Taiwanese company. Air France (Air France Asie), BA (British Asia Airways), Japan Airlines (Japan Asia Airways) and Swissair (Swissair Asia) did the same. That way they could operate the 'Asia' flight into Taipei TPE and fly their own aircraft to China. A political game, but it worked and worked well. All KLM had to do is drop the crown logo.
Then finally, the coolest party of all... the flight to Miami MIA. OMG, I wish I was on that flight! It seemed fun! It made the Guiness Book of World Records!
A record!
I'm very happy that KLM is trying its best to get rid of the image of being a stuffy expensive airline and is trying to look sexy and cool. Ahhhh....
First of all my friend Robin just completed his last MD-11 flight for KLM. Some of you may know that most Cabin Attendants at KLM have a package of 3 aircraft. 737 and 747 is standard and one additional aircraft. This can be the MD-11, 777 or A330. Now a few years back there was a shortage of Cabin Attendants on the 777 and they asked for volunteers for the 4th aircraft. You may think: the more the merrier... but you have to maintain your status on the aircraft type and do flight safety test for each aircraft every few months. But Rob volunteered for the 777. Now that Martinair crew are being taken over by KLM, they asked everyone with a fourth aircraft type to give one up. With pain in his heart Rob gave up the MD-11. I say with pain, because the MD-11 flies to his favorite destination (Bonaire) and his home country (Suriname). But because the destinations whch are more fun to work are on the 777, he gave up the MD-11. You have to remember that besides the tropical, sunny destinations there are also destinations like Tehran, Bahrain, Muscat, Abu Dhabi and Almaty.
In-flight to Amsterdam
At the gate in Quito, Ecuador
Britta & Rob @ UIO
Robbedoes @ BON
Crew getting ready to go @ BON
Britta & Rob @ BON
These three Attendants will drop the MD-11
Last arrival for Rob in AMS
My friends Dini & Isolde in Tehran. Women (even cabin crew) must cover up!
Then KLM also inaugurated its first commercial flight to Xiamen XMN in China. XMN is KLM's seventh Chinese destination. They are actively investing and have high hopes for China. The flight was welcomed with a nice ceremony and my friend Michiel was a Cabin Attendant on board. Just like most China bound flights, half of the crew were Chinese based Flight Attendants. As per tradition, it nicknamed the aircraft 'city of Xiamen'.
City of Xiamen
KLM first commercial flight to XMN
KLM also flies to Hong Kong HKG, Beijing PEK, Hangzhou HGH, Shanghai PVG, Chengdu CTU and Taipei TPE (Taiwan). They have come a long way! There was a time that the Chinese government was not going to grant KLM landing rights in China! To keep it simple: KLM wanted to fly to China and Taiwan. But there was some political tension between China and Taiwan. China sees Taiwan as part of China and Taiwan was seeing itself as an independant country. So any airline that had services to Taiwan, would not get landing rights in China. To circumvent this problem, KLM established KLM Asia.
KLM Asia 747-400
It was registered in Taiwan as a Taiwanese company. Air France (Air France Asie), BA (British Asia Airways), Japan Airlines (Japan Asia Airways) and Swissair (Swissair Asia) did the same. That way they could operate the 'Asia' flight into Taipei TPE and fly their own aircraft to China. A political game, but it worked and worked well. All KLM had to do is drop the crown logo.
Then finally, the coolest party of all... the flight to Miami MIA. OMG, I wish I was on that flight! It seemed fun! It made the Guiness Book of World Records!
A record!
I'm very happy that KLM is trying its best to get rid of the image of being a stuffy expensive airline and is trying to look sexy and cool. Ahhhh....
posted by Traveller at 9:12 PM
6 Comments:
What's up with that Chinese man, next to the Makamba one with the wine glass in his hand??? He looks like a freakin' doll in the pic!
Micheline
Micheline, behave yourself! LOL!
Dance party on board looks cool! Wish I was part of it! Klaas Hilverda (DJ Santito) was also Senior Purser on the flight. He was also attendeing and performing at the event in Miami.
Gert-Jan.
Micheline: die 'makamba' is onze CEO Peter Hartman! Die Chineze man is de .Service Manager in XMN Win 'William' Chao Xi. Ik heb kennis met hem gemaakt tijdens zijn training hier in Nederland. Hij ziet er inderdaad ... anders... uit en hij is ook klein van formaat.
Wat KLM asia betreft, ze vliegen met 7 Boeing 747-400 Combi's (City of Calgary, City of Dubai, City of Freetown, City of Hongkong, Mexico City, City of Paramaribo en City of Johannesburg.
De kisten worden op alle 747 bestemmingen gebruikt, omdat er in principe er maar 2 kisten nodig zijn om een dienstregeling naar TPE te onderhouden.
De China/Taiwan is in principe miet meer van toepassing, maar aangezien de kisten nog steeds geregistreed zijn in Taiwan, blijft de naam KLM Asia vooralsnog voortbestaan. De andere Europese maatschappijen hebben het niet meer, want ze hebben Taiwan als bestemming laten vallen.
P.S: Lufthansa heeft het ook gedaan, maar ze hebben een 747 om laten spuiten in de kleuren van hun dochterbedrijf Condor Airlines.
Marco Vercouteren
hebben alle KLM vliegtuigen een naam??
Thank goodness I am not a stewardess with KLM. because if I was flying to one of those Islamic destinations, they would have had to declare Jihad on me and put Sharia Law on my @ss, because I would be breaking all the rules. Seriously Ryan, do you see me walking a few steps behind Anton? Or wearing a a boerka?
Just making a point! ;-)
Micheline
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