Dutch flag carrier and SkyTeam member KLM presently operates a large and diverse fleet that serves a host of destinations from its base at Amsterdam Schiphol. All in all, it flies 164 jets, including those under its regional ‘Cityhopper’ brand, but which designs exactly? Let’s take a closer look at the exact makeup of the fleet of the Netherlands’ largest airline.
Regional jets
We’ll start by taking a look at KLM Cityhopper’s fleet of regional jets. While these do not belong to KLM’s mainline fleet, they play an important role in connecting smaller European cities to the rest of the world via the airline’s Amsterdam Schiphol hub. According to data from ch-aviation.com, KLM Cityhopper operates a total of 53 Embraer jetliners.
The most numerous aircraft type among these is the Embraer E190. KLM Cityhopper operates 32 of these Brazilian-designed 100-seaters, accounting for more than 60% of its fleet. At the smaller end of the spectrum, it flies 17 88-seat Embraer E175s. The airline has also recently received four next-generation E195-E2s, which seat 132 passengers.
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Short-haul
As far as KLM’s mainline fleet is concerned, the Boeing 737 family has a monopoly on its busier European routes. The airline, whose full name is KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, operates a total of 49 of these US-designed narrowbodies, from three variants of the popular family.
The most numerous of these versions is the 737-800. 31 of these are present in KLM’s fleet, making up 63% of all its 737s. These aircraft seat 186 passengers, and among them is PH-BCL, which ch-aviation reports was the last 737NG series aircraft ever produced.
In terms of other designs from the 737NG series, KLM also flies 13 737-700s. This smaller variant seats 142 passengers. At the larger end of the spectrum, the Dutch flag carrier flies five examples of the stretched 737-900 variant. These 188-seaters are its largest aircraft by average age, clocking in at 19.3 years. One example has already reached 20 years old.
Long-haul
While KLM’s regional and short-haul jets have been one-manufacturer affairs, there is a touch more diversity when it comes to the airline’s widebodies. This is where European manufacturer Airbus comes into play, with KLM operating two variants of its twin-aisle A330 family. It has eight examples of the smaller A330-200, and five of the larger A330-300.
As far as Boeing’s widebodies are concerned, KLM operates two of the US manufacturer’s twin-aisle families. The oldest and most numerous of these is the 777, of which the Dutch flag carrier flies 31 examples split almost evenly across two variants. It has 15 777-200ERs, which are just about outnumbered by its 16 stretched-fuselage 777-300ERs.
Meanwhile, the 787 ‘Dreamliner’ family also gives KLM’s fleet a more youthful feel. Indeed, its 13 examples of the mid-size 787-9 variant have an average age of just 4.6 years. The Dutch flag carrier also operates five even younger stretched-fuselage 787-10s, clocking in at just 1.7 years old on average. All in all, KLM’s fleet certainly has something for everyone.
How many of KLM’s various aircraft types have you flown on? Do you have a particular favorite? Let us know your thoughts and experiences in the comments.
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