A short history of KLM

• October 7, 1919: Founding of KLM Royal Dutch Airlines for the Netherlands and Colonies. Albert Plesman assumes leadership
• May 17, 1920: First KLM flight from London to Amsterdam with a De Havilland DH-16. Pilot: Jerry Shaw
• July 9, 1924: The first large animal flies with KLM: the bull “Nico” is airlifted from Rotterdam to Paris
• October 1, 1924: Departure of the first intercontinental KLM flight from Amsterdam to Jakarta (formerly Batavia). The journey takes 55 days
• September 1929: Launch of regular service to Jakarta (formerly Batavia)
• October 1934: KLM Douglas DC-2 Uiver participates in London-Melbourne air race and wins second prize
• December 1934: First transatlantic KLM flight by the Fokker F XVIII Snip From Amsterdam to Curaçao
• September 1945: KLM resumes services after World War II, initially only on domestic routes
• May 21, 1946: Launch of scheduled KLM service between Amsterdam and New York
• November 1, 1958: First KLM flight via the polar route to Japan
• March 1960: Dawn of the jet age with the introduction of the Douglas DC-8
• February 1971: Introduction of the Boeing 747 heralds the start of the “wide-body” age
• July 1989: KLM enters into alliance with Northwest Airlines
• March – June 2002: KLM announces fleet-renewal with the arrival of the Boeing 747-400ER Freighter, Boeing 777-200ER and Airbus A 330-  200