KLM takes delivery of its first Airbus A350-900, landing at Schiphol

KLM's first Airbus A350-900 landed at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport on October 2, touching down at 16:11 local time after a delivery flight from Toulouse. The arrival marks the start of the Dutch carrier's long-haul fleet renewal, according to the source.

The airline's link to the A350 dates to June 2013, when the Air France-KLM Group ordered 25 A350-900s with the intention of flying the type at both carriers. That plan changed in 2019. The group consolidated its A350-900 fleet under Air France and moved Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners originally headed to the French airline over to KLM. Air France then renewed its long-haul fleet with the A350-900, while KLM did the same with the 787-9.

At the time of the shift, Air France operated Airbus A330s and Boeing 777s alongside seven 787-9s and was preparing to take its first A350-900, ending 2019 with three of the jets. KLM's intercontinental fleet was more mixed, with A330-200s, A330-300s, 777-200(ER)s, 777-300(ER)s, 787-9s and its first four larger 787-10s, which joined by the end of that year. Air France still flew the Airbus A380, which was retired in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Air France-KLM Group placed a further order with Airbus in September 2023 for 50 A350-900s, with options for 40 more. About 22 of the aircraft are earmarked for KLM to replace its older Airbus A330s and Boeing 777-200(ER)s.