KLM has taken delivery of its first Airbus A350-900, with the aircraft arriving at Amsterdam Schiphol from Toulouse on 2 October. Named The Night Watch after Rembrandt’s famous painting, the jet is the first of 22 A350s ordered by the airline and will enter passenger service in a few weeks, beginning with Toronto.
The aircraft is central to KLM’s intercontinental fleet renewal and is set to replace Boeing 777-200ERs as well as Airbus A330-200 and A330-300 aircraft over time. KLM describes the A350 as cleaner, quieter and more fuel-efficient, while the new naming theme for the type will continue with Dutch works of art. The next destinations after Toronto are Montreal, Kilimanjaro, Dar es Salaam, Nairobi and Zanzibar.
The first A350 carries registration PH-ZNA and has been presented as an important milestone for KLM and the Netherlands by chief executive Marjan Rintel. KLM’s passenger cabin layout for the type includes 331 seats across three classes, although some reports indicate the aircraft may initially enter service without a usable business class while certification for the new cabin is still pending.