KLM Celebrates Three Decades Of Direct Flights To Cape Town

KLM Royal Dutch Airlines launched its very first flight between Amsterdam and Cape Town in what has become a momentous and important route for the airline over the past 30 years.

First operated as a ‘tail end’ from the Amsterdam to Johannesburg route, incredible demand saw KLM introduce a non-stop service in 2003 which remains one of the most popular routes out of South Africa. This has made travelling between Cape Town and the Dutch capital much easier and faster without relying on a layover in Johannesburg.

KLM’s momentous first flight to Cape Town took place on a Boeing 747-400 PH-BVG nicknamed the ‘City of Guernsy’. The aircraft was baptised by occasion into ‘Kaap de Goede Hoop’ (Cape of Good Hope) marking what has become a vital connection between the two countries.

“The Amsterdam to Cape Town route has proven to be both important and valuable for KLM and the many South African, Dutch and international travellers who use our service. Although Cape Town remains an extremely popular destination for tourism, industries such as wine and fashion has seen it grow into a corporate destination as well,” Wilson Tauro, Country Manager for Southern Africa at Air France-KLM says. “Celebrating three decades of service is a massive accomplishment for any brand and we are thrilled that the route continues to show incredible demand.”