KLM will officially launch service to Austin Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) from its hub in Amsterdam Schiphol International Airport (AMS) in March. Service will launch on March 28th, 2022, and will operate three times per week. However, this pandemic-delayed route will finally operate, though with a change of aircraft from an Airbus A330-300 to a Boeing 787 Dreamliner.
KLM plans Austin launch
KLM will officially touch down in AUS at the end of next month. The airline will run three weekly flights between AMS and AUS on Mondays, Thursdays, and Saturdays with the following schedule (all times are local):
- KL0668 departs AUS at 18:00 and arrives the next day in AMS at 10:25
- KL0667 departs AMS at 12:40 and arrives in AUS at 16:10
The airline first announced it would add Austin to its network in September of 2019. Flights were supposed to start in May of 2020 with three flights per week. However, the pandemic had delayed the airline’s plans, as transatlantic travel all but came to a halt. Now, as travel returns, KLM is putting its frozen plans on the front burner. Eric Caron, Air France-KLM’s SVP and General Manager of North America, stated the following on the expansion:
“We are excited to expand our service and inaugurate the first scheduled service between Austin and Amsterdam. We look forward to connecting Austin to our global network via Schiphol and providing Europeans direct access to the dynamic city of Austin with its vibrant culture and robust tech industry.”
KLM in Austin
KLM will be the only airline flying nonstop from Austin to Amsterdam. It will operate flights in conjunction with its joint venture partners Air France, Virgin Atlantic, and notably, Delta. Pre-crisis, Delta Air Lines had considered Austin a focus city, and it was jockeying with American and United for a share in the international business market out of the airport. American, however, pulled ahead with a host of domestic additions, squarely putting the city in focus and adding over 20 new routes.
KLM will significantly help Delta Air Lines in Austin. Under the joint venture, Delta can sell seats on KLM’s flights and thus offer its Austin-based customers a way to get to Europe and beyond with just one stop. American can do this with British Airways (which flies to London), while United can do it with Lufthansa (which flies to Frankfurt and will return in April).
KLM will benefit from being able to tap into Delta’s base in Austin. The route will not necessarily target connecting travelers, largely because Delta does not have a large connecting base in Austin. However, the vibrant city is a growing business, and leisure interest has made the city a hot topic in the airline industry.
KLM is not the only airline within the joint venture flying transatlantic from AUS. Its partner Virgin Atlantic will launch a four-times-per-week service from May 25th between Austin and London, also using a Boeing 787-9 aircraft. Both KLM and Virgin Atlantic will be able to provide onward connections as well as target nonstop origin and destination demand.
KLM will largely have a larger base of connections upon which to target travelers. Through Amsterdam, Austin-originating passengers can fly to destinations across Europe, Africa, and India. This offers a one-stop service that is competitive and gives the joint venture a share in this market.
KLM’s Boeing 787-9s
KLM will launch service on Boeing 787-9 aircraft. These planes seat up to 294 passengers, which is marginally more than what the A330-300 previously planned to operate the route offers. The 787-9 offers direct-aisle access from all seats in business class, while the Airbus A330s do not. Both products, however, do offer lie-flat seating. There are 30 business class seats on the 787-9s, 48 extra-legroom economy seats, and 216 standard economy seats on these planes. Power and WiFi are available for customers, as well on the aircraft.
The Boeing 787-9s are part of KLM’s ongoing fleet strategy and fly a wide array of nonstop international services. The planes can be found flying to other destinations in the US, along with places in Africa and Asia.
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