KLM strengthens Africa network with service to Harare, Zimbabwe

Amstelveen | 2012-07-25 — /travelprnews.com/ — “KLM sees great growth opportunities in Africa. This year we launched service to Luanda in Angola and Lusaka in Zambia, and in 2011 we began serving Kigali in Rwanda. This new addition to our network strengthens our position in Africa,” said Erik Varwijk, KLM Managing Director and Executive Vice President of Air France KLM International & The Netherlands.

KLM will operate service from Amsterdam Airport Schiphol to Harare International Airport three times a week. Harare which will be served in combination with Lusaka, Zambia.
KLM will also offer eleven weekly services to Harare via Nairobi in cooperation with Kenya Airways, which is undergoing rapid development in terms of fleet expansion and new destinations.

Zimbabwe is located in Southern Africa and is a strong growth market with a wide array of natural resources. In addition, Zimbabwe is a great tourist destination. The parks and nature reserves at the Mana Pools and Zambezi River are certainly worth a visit, while Lake Kariba, with its unique atmosphere, and the magnificent Victoria Falls are among the best-known attractions.

Flight KL523 will be operated with an Airbus A330-200 on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays, departing from Schiphol at 10.20 hrs and arriving in Harare on the same day at 21.25 hrs. The return leg of the circle trip has the same number, KL523, leaving Harare at 22.30 hrs the same day, with an intermediate landing in Lusaka. The flight arrives in Amsterdam the following morning at 10.20 hrs.

For further information:
KLM Media Relations, tel. +31 (0)20 649 4545

About KLM

KLM Royal Dutch Airlines was founded in 1919, making it the world’s oldest airline operating under its original name. In 2004, Air France and KLM merged to form AIR FRANCE KLM. The merger produced the strongest European airline group based on two powerful brands names and hubs —Amsterdam Airport Schiphol and Paris Charles de Gaulle. The two airlines collaborate on three core activities while maintaining their own identities — passenger transport, cargo, transport, and aircraft maintenance.

In the Netherlands, KLM comprises the core of the KLM Group which further includes KLM cityhopper and transavia.com. KLM serves 135 destinations using a modern fleet of 157 aircraft and employs over 33,000 people around the world. KLM is a leader in the airline industry, which offers reliable operations and customer-oriented products resulting from its policy of enthusiasm and sustainable innovation.

KLM is a member of SkyTeam, an airline alliance offering a network of 926 destinations in more than 173 countries. The KLM network connects the Netherlands to every important economic region around the world and, as such, serves as a powerful driver for the Dutch economy.

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