The birthday of the airline is celebrated on October 7, 1919.
The highlight of the evening is the unveil of the airline's newest gin filled miniature Delftware house portraying a different historically or architecturally significant building in the Netherlands or abroad.
Since the 1950s, the airline has given miniature houses to passengers in long haul cabins. The number of houses in the collection now matches the airline's age thanks to a catch up program. Some houses have been issued.
At this year's birthday party, the airline unveiled house number 103, a miniature replica of the Ecury House. The first miniature was presented to the acting governor of Aruba and to the Ecury family.
There have been many ups and downs over the last century. We always mark our anniversary on October 7 because we want to keep celebrating the company that connects the Netherlands with the world.
Do you want more airline specific news? If you sign up for the newsletter, you will receive it twice a week.
The first time a miniature was based on a building was in the Netherlands. That honor was bestowed on a building in Curacao.
Nicasio "Dundun" Ecury played a significant role in the development of aviation on the island, which is why he was chosen by KLM to be their new headquarters. Boy Ecury was a resistance hero during World War II and was betrayed and executed by the Germans.
The National Archaeological Museum of Aruba, built in 1929, is near the site of the first plane to land in the island. Mark Zegeling is the Dutch author of several books about the real houses and landmark buildings featured in the miniature house series.
You can sign up for our newsletter.
The green house is decorated with gingerbread carvings along the portico and balcony, and was designed by the architect of the island of Aruba. The Art Deco-style facade, stained glass windows, and vases on the corners of the roof are part of the cultural heritage of the island.
It has been almost 90 years since the last connection between the two countries.
On December 23, 1934, the Fokker-XVIII plane named "the Snip" touched down in Aruba. The first flight operated by the West- Indian Branch was between Aruba and Curacao. It has been almost 50 years since scheduled service between Amsterdam and Aruba started. There are flights every day between the two destinations.
The idea to fill the miniature Delftware houses with gin came about when there was a limit on the amount of gifts the airline could give its passengers. They could be considered cocktails that came in souvenir containers if they were put inside the little houses.
The cabin crew offers a selection of miniature houses for the World Business Class passengers to choose from. The little houses have become highly sought-after collectibles, and there is an app to keep track of which editions you have or still need.
Rintel, who was CEO of NS Dutch Railways before taking over as KLM CEO and president on July 1, 2022.
She said that she has a collection of more than half of the houses in her own home.
The choice of house 104 was already made when Rintel came on board, but now she will be involved in the decision.
The deep connection our brand and history has to the Netherlands and Dutch culture is reflected in the collector's items. We won't make any changes to this program.
All Rights Reserved © 2024
