KLM and/or AMS Amsterdam Schiphol Airport - Latest news 2020

[Passenger]

27th April 2020: public holiday in the Netherlands: "Koningsdag" (Kings' day).

.

[sn26567]

Netherlands’ Court of Audit rules that a 2019 move by the Dutch government to buy a 14% stake in Air France-KLM was not in accordance with the country’s laws. What now?

[Jetter]

Netherlands’ Court of Audit rules that a 2019 move by the Dutch government to buy a 14% stake in Air France-KLM was not in accordance with the country’s laws. What now?

Nothing. It was ruled that the minister should have informed the parliament beforehand but the parliament did approve afterwards. Thus it was legal ex post. It was a weird situation because it the government would have followed procedure they would have to pay much more as they couldn't keep it a secret.

[rwandan-flyer]

AF / KQ // KL will end code share agreements, on long haul routes between Europe and Nairobi

KLM and Air France immediately terminated the Joint Venture with Kenya Airways between Europe and East Africa. This will also cancel the codeshare flights on the longhaul routes from Amsterdam, Paris Charles de Gaulle and London Heathrow to Nairobi. Air France and KLM will continue to share codeshares with Kenya Airways, also a SkyTeam partner and Flying Blue airline, on routes from Nairobi. Customers who booked a flight operated by Kenya Airways via KLM have been rebooked on a KLM operated flight to Nairobi. Flights operated by Kenya Airways and booked under an AF flight number have been changed to a KQ flight number.

https://insideflyer.nl/klm-beeindigt-jo ... a-airways/ (NL)


I'm not too surprised

From the outside you might think it is a good partnership, but if you follow the aviation news in this part of Africa, on several occasions, employees of Kenya Airways have said that this partnership was not fair, like here in 2016 https://www.businessdailyafrica.com/cor ... index.html

KQ has said, no it's a fair partnership, but in 2012 Kenya Airways wanted to merge with Ethiopian and South African Airlines on the model of LATAM. SAA agreed, not Ethiopian (we can understand them) https://centreforaviation.com/analysis/ ... nity-89947

Despite the fact that AF joined the JV KLM KQ, in 2018, Kenya Airways recently said that it plans to leave SkyTeam

Jan2019: https://www.businesstraveller.com/busin ... e-skyteam/

KQ was a little less virulent at the end of 2019, but clearly, this time the management said, that the current agreement does not work for KQ https://skift.com/2019/09/04/kenya-airways-wants- a-better-deal-from-air-france-klm-partnership /

And on the African front, Kenya Airways wishes to create an African alliance, with the South African Airways, RwandAir and Air Mauritus. Unfortunately, I'm afraid that because of the Covid19 crisis, we have to wait a bit. https://www.inside.news/un-joint-ventur ... e-bientot/

But the solution is surely there, that African companies unite, they will be better able to fight against European companies, or those from the Middle East. Unfortunately most often it is the companies from these regions that have the biggest agreements with African companies (code share, training, management, ...). While there are excellent companies in Africa, in terms of training, such as SAA, Ethiopian Egyptair, 43 Air School (South Africa) or Royal Air Maroc, but too few and some companies are in great difficulty

African countries do more business with European countries than between them https://outsideinsight.com/insights/afr ... can-trade/

[sn26567]

Nice analysis, Rwandan-flyer. Isn't Kenya Airways on the verge of bankruptcy?

[rwandan-flyer]

Nice analysis, Rwandan-flyer. Isn't Kenya Airways on the verge of bankruptcy?

Kenya Airways still loosing money . But the takeover law (for the KQ nationalization) expected to be voted this august, that's probably why, the treasury has refused an emergency bailout to Kenya Airways

https://www.nation.co.ke/business/Kenya ... index.html

Taxpayers to bailout KQ as it sinks into a further $130m loss, and still grounded https://www.theeastafrican.co.ke/busine ... index.html

[LJ]

Rescue package for KLM is approved by the Dutch government

https://www.aviation24.be/airlines/air- ... 19-crisis/

Moreover, according to some news outlets, KLM will communicate the restructuring (aka job cuts) next week.

[sn26567]

Rescue package for KLM is approved by the Dutch government

And like for Air France and Lufthansa, Ryanair complains to the EU about "illegal subsidies".

https://www.aviation24.be/airlines/air- ... id-to-klm/

[Passenger]

Last flight ever for PH-BFL, 747-400 (pax), Amsterdam-Chicago-Mojave desert:
https://www.flightradar24.com/KLM747/25b0d2f5

[rwandan-flyer]

KLM opens a route to Zanzibar. Competition with Lufthansa

https://translate.google.fr/translate?h ... op-genzanz

The return of United Airlines to Africa
The return of Delta Airlines to Cape Town (South Africa),
The arrival of Lufthansa in Mombasa and Zanzibar,
The arrival of Qatar Airways in Ghana and Angola,
Blue Panorama Airlines which opens Milan-Dakar,
TUI Airways which opens 2 routes: London Gatwick / Manchester-Banjul
Azores Airlines opening a Paria (Cape Verde) -Lisbon
Edelweiss Air opening Zurich-Sal (Cape Verde)
Corendon which strats flights, from Amsterdam and Maastricht Aachen to Sal
TAP Air Portugal opening Porto-Sal
Air Belgium, on Mauritius
Dublin Cairo, with Egytpair

Etc ...

Africa is the new battleground during the covid19 crisis

[LJ]

KLM opens a route to Zanzibar. Competition with Lufthansa

Isn't it more in competition with TUI (which flies the same route once weekly)? I reckon they aim at the leisure passenger. Moreover, it will be intersting to see if Zanzibar remains in the schedule post-COVID-19 as airlines (this applies to other recently started routes as well).

[sn26567]

KLM to phase out its last B747 Combi on 25 October 2020.

[Passenger]

KLM to phase out its last B747 Combi on 25 October 2020.

PH-BFW is airborne. Landing from Shangai is scheduled at AMS for 20h40 tonight.
All access to spotters places will be locked, due to corona restrictions.
https://www.flightradar24.com/data/airc ... w#25dd35f7

[LJ]

KLM to phase out its last B747 Combi on 25 October 2020.

PH-BFW is airborne. Landing from Shangai is scheduled at AMS for 20h40 tonight.
All access to spotters places will be locked, due to corona restrictions.
https://www.flightradar24.com/data/airc ... w#25dd35f7

It's already dark at that moment. As such what's to be seen? The good news is that pax flights to PVG will return as of 4th of November (daily 77W) and increased flights to many other Asian destinations (most of them to become nonstop again either in November or in the New Year).

[Passenger]

KLM is going to receive € 3,4 Bn Dutch state aid: a loan, to be paid back over a period of 5 years. In exchange, minister Wopke Hoekstra asked that the all employees accept a salary decrease during this five years. The trade unions had to sign this commitment by noon today, but both the VNV (pilots' union) and FNV (all other unions) refused to sign. Tension rises...

[Passenger]

KLM is going to receive € 3,4 Bn Dutch state aid: a loan, to be paid back over a period of 5 years. In exchange, minister Wopke Hoekstra asked that the all employees accept a salary decrease during this five years. The trade unions had to sign this commitment by noon today, but both the VNV (pilots' union) and FNV (all other unions) refused to sign. Tension rises...

Update: minister Hoekstra has cancelled all ongoing state support to KLM.
https://www.ad.nl/politiek/hoekstra-klm ... ~af28ed1a/

[Passenger]

KLM is going to receive € 3,4 Bn Dutch state aid: a loan, to be paid back over a period of 5 years. In exchange, minister Wopke Hoekstra asked that the all employees accept a salary decrease during this five years. The trade unions had to sign this commitment by noon today, but both the VNV (pilots' union) and FNV (all other unions) refused to sign. Tension rises...

Update: minister Hoekstra has cancelled all ongoing state support to KLM.
https://www.ad.nl/politiek/hoekstra-klm ... ~af28ed1a/

Letter (31/10/2020) from the minister to the Parliament:
https://www.rijksoverheid.nl/documenten ... gsplan-klm

the minister on Twitter:
https://twitter.com/WBHoekstra
(1/3) Ik heb KLM en de Tweede Kamer helaas moeten laten weten dat het herstructureringsplan geen goedkeuring kan krijgen. Het pakket zoals het er nu ligt voldoet niet.
(2/3) Het is aan KLM en de vakbonden om ervoor te zorgen dat alsnog wordt voldaan aan de gestelde voorwaarden. Ik heb veel waardering voor de inzet van de directie van KLM, vijf bonden en de OR.
(3/3) Het is onvermijdelijk dat KLM de kosten omlaag brengt, zodat we weer verder kunnen. In het belang van de werknemers en voor de toekomst van KLM.

Pieter Elbers (CEO KLM) on YouTube (31/10/2020):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2LxoqKVFHQE

[Passenger]

Dutch public broadcaster NOS reports that the pilots (VNV) have accepted the governments' demands.
https://nos.nl/artikel/2355085-ook-klm- ... akket.html

[sn26567]

Dutch public broadcaster NOS reports that the pilots (VNV) have accepted the governments' demands.
https://nos.nl/artikel/2355085-ook-klm- ... akket.html

Confirmed:
NL: https://nieuws.klm.com/vakbond-vnv-teke ... -clausule/
EN: https://www.aviation24.be/airlines/air- ... state-aid/