KLM has pushed back the passenger debut of its first Airbus A350 again, with the inaugural commercial flight now scheduled for Amsterdam–Toronto on 30 October rather than 23 October. The aircraft, registered PH-ZNA and named De Nachtwacht, is due to arrive at Amsterdam Schiphol in early October before entering service on the Toronto Pearson route.
Toronto will be the first destination for the new long-haul type, with the A350 set to operate five of KLM’s 12 weekly flights on the route. Further deployments are planned later in the winter schedule, including Montreal and several African destinations such as Kilimanjaro, Dar es Salaam, Zanzibar and Nairobi as additional aircraft join the fleet.
The latest shift follows earlier delays to the aircraft’s entry into service, underlining the dependence of the schedule on Airbus delivery timing. KLM has indicated that its network plans can still change during the handover process, leaving the exact start date vulnerable to any further slip in delivery.