Dutch carrier KLM operates an extensive fleet of 115 aircraft comprised primarily of Boeing-made jets, along with a handful of planes from European manufacturer Airbus
. This includes an older fleet of Airbus A330-200 and A330-300 widebodies alongside its brand-new fleet of Airbus A321neo
single-aisle jets. Welcoming its first delivery in August 2024, KLM currently has seven A321neos at its disposal, but will be taking delivery of several more of the next-generation narrowbodies in the coming months.
KLM
IATA/ICAO Code
KL/KLM
Year Founded
1919
Data from aviation analytics company Cirium for this month reveals KLM is flying its A321neo fleet to a total of 15 destinations out of its Amsterdam Schiphol Airport
(AMS) hub. Despite the A321neo’s extensive range of up to 4,000 nautical miles (7,400 km), all of these destinations are within Europe, with the longest route being under 2,200 km. Here are all the destinations where KLM will be flying its A321neo fleet in May.
15 Destinations: Where KLM Will Fly The A321neo In May 2024
Photo: KLM
KLM’s A321neo fleet will serve its short and medium-haul European network out of Amsterdam Schiphol this month. Cirium data lists 466 round-trip flights to 15 destinations, amounting to over 105,000 monthly seats each way. The highest number of frequencies will be to London Heathrow and Rome Fiumicino, both with three daily departures scheduled.
Destination
Flights (monthly)
Seats (monthly)
Distance
Athens (ATH)
14
3,178
1,179 NM (2,183 km)
Barcelona (BCN)
31
7,037
670 NM (1,241 km)
Bergen (BGO)
27
6,129
480 NM (889 km)
Berlin (BER)
28
6,356
321 NM (595 km)
Billund (BLL)
3
681
258 NM (478 km)
Budapest (BUD)
31
7,037
632 NM (1,170 km)
Edinburgh (EDI)
14
3,178
360 NM (667 km)
Lisbon (LIS)
62
14,074
997 NM (1,846 km)
London Heathrow (LHR)
93
21,111
201 NM (372 km)
Madrid (MAD)
12
2,724
789 NM (1,461 km)
Manchester (MAN)
24
5,448
264 NM (489 km)
Nice (NCE)
3
681
528 NM (978 km)
Prague (PRG)
19
4,313
381 NM (706 km)
Rome Fiumicino (FCO)
92
20,884
700 NM (1,296 km)
Stockholm Arlanda (ARN)
14
3,178
624 NM (1,156 km)
TOTAL
466
105,982
Other high-frequency routes include a double-daily A321neo service to Lisbon, as well as daily flights to Barcelona and Budapest. The least-served routes this month will be Billund and Nice, both of which have just three scheduled A321neo services this May.
The longest route will be Athens at 1,179 NM (2,183 km), which has a typical flight time of over three hours. This is the only route measuring over 2,000 km, with the next longest pairings being Lisbon (1,846 km) and Madrid (1,461 km) on the Iberian Peninsula. The shortest connection is London Heathrow (372 km) with a flight time of around one hour and ten minutes, followed by Denmark’s Billund (478 km) and Manchester (489 km).
EuroBiz Narrowbody: Inside The KLM Airbus A321neo Cabin
Photo: KLM
Capable of seating up to 227 in an all-economy configuration, KLM’s A321neos feature Airbus’ Airspace cabins. Launched in 2021, the A320neo-family Airspace cabin delivers up to 60% more bag capacity with its XL overhead bins, among other perks like ambient lighting and quieter cabins.
As you’ll typically find onboard single-aisle jets in the European market (with full-service carriers, at least), KLM’s A321neos usually offer a EuroBiz front cabin where fares are sold as Europe Business class. The airline blocks off the sale of middle seats, so each passenger gets an elevated level of comfort and privacy. This will be on top of the perks of a premium fare, including access to SkyPriority services.
Cabin Class
Seat Pitch
Economy
74–76 cm (29–30 in)
Economy Comfort
81 cm (32 in)
Europe Business
81 cm (32 in)
KLM’s cabins are furnished with Recaro’s SL3710 and BL3710 seats, which offer handy features like device holders and a customized backrest to enhance passenger comfort. The front six rows feature the BL3710 seats, with the remainder of the cabin equipped with the SL3710. These lightweight seats help lower the aircraft’s weight and also come with USB-C charging points.
Related
What Is Special About The Airbus Airspace Cabin?
Less Than A Year: KLM’s A321neo History
Photo: KLM
KLM is one of the newest A321neo operators, launching its first revenue service in September with a flight between Amsterdam and Copenhagen. Following its first delivery in August, the carrier welcomed a second jet in September and expanded its A321neo network to include Berlin and Stockholm.
The airline’s A321neo fleet would grow to four aircraft by the end of 2024, and it has since inducted another three airframes within the past two months. As a long-time Boeing 737 operator, the A321neo is the first Airbus narrowbody that KLM has ever flown, but not its first-ever Airbus planes, as it previously operated the A310 and continues to fly the A330 today.
While Air France flies the older A321-100 and A321-200, fellow Air France-KLM Group carrier Transavia is also an operator of the A321neo with eight aircraft in its fleet. In fact, Transavia started flying the A321neo before KLM, debuting its first aircraft into revenue service in March 2024.
How The A321neo Compares to KLM’s Older 737s
Photo: Jeroen Stroes | Wikimedia Commons
KLM’s A320neo-family aircraft will slowly phase out the carrier’s existing Boeing 737NG fleet. KLM operates three variants from the 737NG series, namely the -700, -800 and -900, and some aircraft have been in its fleet since 1999. The A321neo can deliver between 15-20% better fuel efficiency than the 737NG and also offers considerably more passenger capacity and range.
Airbus A321neo
Boeing 737-800 (NG)
Capacity
Up to 227 passengers
Up to 180 passengers
Range
3,995 NM (7,400 km)
2,267 NM (4,200 km)
Powerplant
Pratt & Whitney PW1100G (KLM’s option)
CFM56-7B
The oldest 737s in KLM’s fleet are now over 26 years old, with the fleet as a whole having an average age exceeding 18 years. If we break down the airline’s 737 fleet in terms of variants, it has six 737-700s, 31 737-800s and five 737-900s. The carrier has been a 737-family operator since the mid 1980s, initially flying the 737-200, 737-300 and 737-400.
So why did KLM opt for the Airbus A321neo rather than the Boeing 737 MAX? According to the airline, the decision aligns with its “cleaner, quieter, more economical” drive for fleet sustainability and efficiency. The carrier will also be phasing out its Boeing widebody fleet in favor of twin-aisle jets from Airbus, which will include the A350.
The Future of KLM’s Fleet
Photo: KLM
According to the carrier’s website, it expects to have 13 A321neos in its fleet by the end of 2025, meaning six more deliveries are due within the next seven months. Of the aircraft Air France-KLM has on order, KLM is expected to take up to 33 airframes over the next few years, and will also be renewing its long-haul fleet with Airbus models.
In addition to the stretched A321neo, KLM will eventually welcome the A320neo into its fleet. Air France-KLM Group took delivery of its first A320neo airframe in December 2023, which would then join group carrier Transavia France. The airline group now has 16 A320neos, all of which are in service with Transavia, and there are several more deliveries due this year.
Registration
Delivery Date
PH-AXA
August 2024
PH-AXB
September 2024
PH-AXC
December 2024
PH-AXD
December 2024
PH-AXG
March 2025
PH-AXE
April 2025
PH-AXF
April 2025
In 2021, Air France-KLM placed an order for 100 A320neo-family jets (along with 60 more options) to renew the KLM and Transavia fleets. Under the current timeline, KLM expects to receive its first nine A320neo jets between 2028 and 2030, which is well behind schedule due to supply chain problems forcing the planemaker to delay deliveries.
Related
New Narrowbodies: Where Will KLM Fly Its Airbus A321neo Jets?
KLM plans to welcome up to three more Airbus A321neo aircraft in 2024, expanding its A321neo fleet to four aircraft by the end of the year.
Over 7,000 Orders: The A321neo Today
Photo: Airbus
The A321neo has proven exceptionally popular since the plane’s launch in 2010, attracting over 7,000 orders. This makes it the best-selling A320neo-family variant by a considerable distance, with the A320neo at just over 4,000 orders and the A319neo barely exceeding 50 orders.
By mid-2023, the A321neo became the most-ordered Airbus variant in the company’s history, surpassing the 4,700-plus orders for its original A320ceo. For years, the Boeing 737 has ruled the skies as the most-operated commercial narrowbody – however, the A320-family overtook Boeing’s bestseller in terms of orders in 2019 and are now neck-and-neck in terms of deliveries.
Ultra-low-cost carrier Wizz Air
is the world’s largest operator of the A321neo with 149 aircraft at its disposal, closely followed by IndiGo with 140 planes. The latter airline has the largest number of airframes on order with almost 650 additional planes coming, while AirAsia is due to expand its A321neo fleet with over 350 jets on order.
