Special Edition Delft Blue Miniature House #95
Captain & crew members celebrate with KLM pax at YYZ
The KL/AF team celebrating at the Gardiner Museum reception
Jean-Noel Rault, Vice President & General Manager, Canada AF/KL
Koninklijke Luchtvaart Maatschappij is technically the world’s oldest airline having been incorporated on October 7th, 1919 and operates to this day under its original name... although nobody except a Dutch person can pronounce it. Several other air transport companies had already incorporated or were even operating at the time... but, they no longer exist or they have changed their names over the years.
KLM didn’t actually operate its 1st flight until the following spring when on May 17th it flew a leased DeHavilland DH16 with 2 British journalists as passengers from Croydon in the U.K. to Amsterdam. They have certainly kicked it up a notch since then and currently serve 133 destinations in 69 countries on 5 continents.
To celebrate their 95th birthday events took place across the KLM network with a special edition delft blue miniature KLM “house” representing the Heineken Brewery in Amsterdam presented to Business Class passengers worldwide.
At Toronto crew members greeted passengers offering them KLM blue birthday cupcakes and caps. Later that evening staff and colleagues at YYZ were hosted by Stations Director Karan Deswal at a reception celebrating the significant historic milestone. We’re all hoping we’ll have the chance to gather again in 5 years time for the centenary celebration!
Later that week, Air France (no spring chicken themselves at the ripe age of 81 years – coincidentally marked on the same day as KLM’s October 7th incorporation) took the opportunity to celebrate both anniversaries as well as to welcome their new Vice President & General Manager, Jean-Noel Rault who has recently taken the helm in Canada.
Top partners were treated to a beautiful reception, live music and creative performances at the Gardiner Museum as they toasted the Air France/KLM Group and codeshare partner WestJet’s success in Canada. Rault thanked their loyal agents for their extra efforts to mitigate the fallout from the AF pilots’ work stoppages and was thrilled to announce that the issues related to the formation of a new low cost European carrier have finally been resolved.
