Spreading Its Wings: KLM Announces Services to Three New Long-Haul Destinations

Wedoany.com Report-Nov 14, Dutch flag carrier KLM has announced it will be expanding its intercontinental long-haul network in the northern summer of 2025. New services will commence between Amsterdam-Schiphol Airport (AMS) and San Diego (US), Georgetown (Guyana), and Hyderabad (India). The new routes come as the carrier aims to increase profitability and expand its global footprint in the coming months.

From May 8, 2025, KLM will operate three times weekly direct flights from Amsterdam to San Diego International Airport (SAN), making the Californian city the airline’s 22nd direct KLM connection between the airline’s Amsterdam hub and North America. Flights will operate on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays by the carrier’s fleet of Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners. These aircraft feature 30 seats in business class, 21 seats in premium economy, and 224 seats in economy class.

The outbound flight (KL639) will depart Amsterdam at 09:50 arriving at San Diego International Airport (SAN) at noon local time. The return flight (KL640) will depart San Diego at 13:55 local time arriving back in Amsterdam the following day at 09:15. The route is 5,613 miles (8,981km) in length.

The southern Californian conurbation of San Diego represents a large, unserved market for the transatlantic joint venture between Air France, KLM, Delta Air Lines, and Virgin Atlantic, so the arrival of KLM hopes to break into this market that, according to KLM, has seen “steady growth over the past decade. San Diego is known for its mild climate, more than 100 km of coastline with diverse landscapes, and a strong business community. As the third largest metropolitan area in California, San Diego has a robust business market, particularly in the semiconductor, aerospace, defense, and pharmaceutical industries,” adds the airline.

The Amsterdam to Georgetown Cheddi Jagan Airport (GEO) route (4,737 miles / 7,579 km) will be operated with two weekly flights (Wednesdays and Saturdays) from June 4, 2025, as an extension of the airline’s service to Saint Maarten in the Dutch Antilles on the outward journey. All flights will be operated by the carrier’s fleet of Airbus A330-200 aircraft which seat 18 passengers in business, and 246 in economy.

The outbound flight (KL789) will depart from Amsterdam at 10:00 and arrive in Saint Maarten (SXM) at 13:00 local time. This flight then departs from Saint Maarten at 14:20 local time and arrives at Georgetown at 16:35 local time the same day. The return leg (KL789) departs from Georgetown at 17:55 local time and arrives at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport the next day at 09:15.

Georgetown is the capital of Guyana and has also been a fast-growing market over the past years, states KLM. “Guyana is a rare place where you can still find nature in its original form, with coastal land, rainforest, and savannahs. It also has a strong business traffic flow,” adds the airline.

The last of the three new routes will be Hyderabad in India. From September 2, 2025, there will be three weekly direct flights on the Amsterdam-Hyderabad route (4,598 miles / 7,357km) making it the fourth direct connection between Amsterdam and India. KLM will operate three weekly flights on Tuesdays, Fridays, and Sundays using Boeing 777-200ERs. These aircraft offer 35 seats in business class, 24 seats in premium economy, and 229 seats in economy class.

KL873 will depart Amsterdam at 11:40 and arrive at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (HYD) at 00:30 local time. Meanwhile, KL874 will depart Hyderabad at 02:20 local time and arrive at Amsterdam the same day at 08:40.

KLM states: “Hyderabad is the capital of the Indian state of Telangana and is known as the ‘pharmaceutical capital of India’ with over 800 pharmaceutical companies located in and around the city. In addition, many American and European IT companies have offices in Hyderabad. The city also won the ‘World Green City Award’ in 2022.”

“With these three new routes, KLM continues to strengthen its presence in the world, offering its customers more travel options and tapping into a growing and dynamic market,” the company statement concludes.