On October 7, 1919, the Netherlands gave birth to what would become a legend in commercial aviation: Koninklijke Luchtvaart Maatschappij, better known simply as KLM. Still flying under the very same name it was given over a century ago, KLM holds the remarkable distinction of being the oldest commercial airline to do so. As the national airline of the Netherlands, it stands as a symbol of Dutch aviation prowess and remains a heavyweight in global travel as part of the Air France-KLM group, one of international air transport's most powerful entities.
Royal Beginnings
It all started in early 1919, when a young aviator by the name of Albert Plesman put together an aviation exhibition that turned out to be a smashing success. The event drew more than half a million visitors, among them a number of influential Dutch investors who came away inspired. Their enthusiasm for launching a Dutch international airline was palpable, and Plesman quickly found himself tapped to spearhead the effort.
Before KLM even officially existed, it received a remarkable honor. In September 1919, Queen Wilhelmina, the then-presiding Queen of the Netherlands, bestowed the Royal Predicte upon the yet-to-be-formed airline — a powerful acknowledgment of the prominent national role it was expected to play on the world aviation stage. Then, on October 7, a group of eight Dutch investors made it official, formally establishing KLM as one of the very first commercial airlines the world had ever seen.
First Flights
It didn't take long for KLM to get off the ground — literally. On May 17, 1920, less than a year after its founding, the airline completed its maiden voyage. Piloted by Jerry Shaw, the flight departed from Croydon Airport in London and headed for Amsterdam, relying on rudimentary tools like paper maps and featuring an open cockpit. That flight carried 440 passengers and 22 tons of freight, and it went off without a hitch.
From there, growth came swiftly. By 1929, not even a decade into its existence, KLM had established reliable long-haul routes. The 1940s saw the airline conquer the Atlantic with its first transatlantic flight. Once World War II ended, expansion accelerated dramatically — KLM rolled out transatlantic services reaching both North and South America while also branching into destinations across India and Africa.
Flight Legacy
A transformative chapter opened in 2004 when KLM joined forces with aviation powerhouse Air France, creating the Air France-KLM Group. Crucially, the KLM network kept operating under its original name, preserving its unique claim as the oldest airline still doing business under the name it was founded with. Today, the company links 165 cities spread across more than 70 countries. By 2023, well over 30 million customers had flown with KLM.