After the demise of Jet Airways, KLM will fly to Bangalore and suspend Colombo, Sri Lanka

KLM is expanding its Indian network with the opening of Bangalore. From the end of October 2019, the Indian metropolis will be accessible three times a week with a direct KLM flight from Amsterdam. The flights are operated with the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner with a capacity of 294 seats.

The new KLM flights are an extension of KLM’s India network, which currently comprises Delhi and Mumbai. The three-weekly connection with Bangalore provides even more travel options between Amsterdam and India. KLM thus also offers more connections between the United States and India via Amsterdam.

Until recently, KLM worked closely with its partner Jet Airways on routes to and from India. Unfortunately, as of April 2019, Jet Airways had to suspend all flights for an indefinite period. As a result, KLM has decided to increase its capacity to India in order to be able to offer alternatives to its customers and to continue to meet market demand.

From 28 October 2019, KLM will fly between Amsterdam-Schiphol and Bangalore on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. The flights with the Boeing 787-9 offer 30 seats in the World Business Class, 45 seats in the Economy Comfort Class and 219 seats in the Economy Class. The flight schedule is as follows:

KL879 departs from Schiphol at 11:05 and arrives at 00:50 (next day) local time in Bangalore, Kempegowda International Airport.

KL880 departs from Bangalore at 02:45 local time, and arrives at Schiphol at 08:20 the next day.

The destination Bangalore

Bangalore (also known as Bengaluru), with its nearly ten million inhabitants, is the third largest city in India, after Delhi and Mumbai. The city is located in southern India and is the capital of the state of Karnataka. Bangalore is the fourth largest technology cluster in the world and is also known as the “Silicon Valley” of India. In addition to being an attractive business destination, Bangalore is also an excellent starting point for a trip through the south of India. Many tourist destinations, such as famous nature parks, the beaches of Goa and the backwaters of Kerala, are easily accessible from Bangalore.

Provisional closure of Colombo, Sri Lanka

In order to be able to open Bangalore as a new destination, changes must be made to the KLM network. Partly due to Schiphol’s final restrictions, KLM is being forced to revise its portfolio of destinations earlier than usual.

For this reason, the direct connection to Colombo, Sri Lanka, will be temporarily suspended at the end of October. Recent developments and economic prospects in Sri Lanka have led to commercial pressure on flights to Colombo.

From October 2016, KLM flew alternately to Colombo two to three times a week during the winter season. Passengers with a ticket for a flight from Amsterdam to Colombo and vice versa with a departure on or after 28 October 2019 will be rebooked or financially compensated.

May 22, 2019