KLM has taken delivery of its first Airbus A350-900, with the aircraft handed over in Toulouse and ferried to Amsterdam Schiphol on 2 October. The jet is the first of the type for the airline and is due to enter passenger service in a few weeks, with Toronto set as its inaugural route.
The aircraft is configured with 331 seats in three classes, including 34 Business Class suites, 26 Premium Comfort seats and 271 Economy seats. KLM will use the A350 as part of its long-haul fleet renewal, gradually replacing part of its current intercontinental fleet.
Airbus and KLM described the A350 as cleaner, quieter and more fuel-efficient, with improved passenger comfort on long-haul sectors. Follow-on destinations are expected to include Montreal, Kilimanjaro, Dar es Salaam, Nairobi and Zanzibar, extending the aircraft’s role beyond its first Toronto rotation.
The delivery also adds to the wider fleet-modernisation programme at Air France-KLM Group, as KLM expands its next-generation widebody operations from its Amsterdam Schiphol hub.