KLM Launches Four‑Month Crew‑Sharing with Air France to Secure JFK–Schiphol Service
(IN SHORT) KLM and Air France have initiated a collaborative arrangement in which Air France pilots will fly a KLM Boeing 777‑200 on the JFK–Schiphol route through October 25. The first combined flight, KL641, left Amsterdam at 1:25 p.m. today with an Air France cockpit team and KLM cabin staff. Achieved after extensive planning with unions and regulators, this pioneering crew‑sharing venture optimizes the Air France‑KLM Group’s summer capacity and bolsters service reliability. KLM COO Maarten Stienen highlighted the partnership’s role in maintaining full schedule coverage and enhancing operational agility during the busy summer period.
(PRESS RELEASE) HAARLEMMERMEER, Netherlands, 2025-Jul-16 — /Travel PR News/ — KLM has kicked off an unprecedented four‑month crew partnership with Air France this afternoon. Under the agreement, Air France pilots will command a KLM Boeing 777‑200 operating the daily service between New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport and Amsterdam’s Schiphol. This strategic alliance enables the Air France‑KLM Group to fully leverage its collective pilot resources and uphold KLM’s summer flight schedule without gaps.
The maiden joint service, designated KL641, departed Schiphol at 1:25 p.m. local time, featuring Air France captains and first officers at the controls, supported by KLM cabin attendants. It marks the first time that Air France’s flight deck team and KLM’s cabin crew have collaborated on a KLM‑branded flight.
Behind this milestone lies months of meticulous coordination: from harmonizing cockpit procedures and cabin protocols to securing endorsements from unions and civil aviation authorities. “By pooling talent within our Group, we can sustain capacity during peak season and reinforce operational flexibility,” commented Maarten Stienen, KLM Chief Operating Officer. “I applaud the efforts of everyone involved and look forward to a smooth, productive collaboration at 35,000 feet and beyond.”
This shared‑crew operation will continue daily until the end of the summer timetable on October 25, ensuring uninterrupted connectivity on one of KLM’s most vital intercontinental routes.
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SOURCE: KLM Royal Dutch Airlines
