KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, one of the largest European carriers which celebrated its 75th founding anniversary on October 7. will inaugurate its newest route — Bangladesh — on October 31 Dhaka will be the 155th destination of the carrier with the famous alphabets that flew Its maiden flight, between Amsterdam and London, in 1919.
"We are not coming here for just a winter. Dhaka will be one of the major destinations of our expanded worldwide network. said Karel Bram F Steilec. vice-president and area manager for Middle East and South Asia
Talking to The Dally Star. Steller said. KLM is the second European airlines after British Airways to operate from Bangladesh
"But we have made a mistake. We should have come here earlier."' he said in reply to a question about the belated decision to open the Dhaka route,
He said surveys conducted by KLM projected Bangladesh as a potentially good market
"Our surveys on various aspects of the market In Bangladesh would continue because we would like to main tain our high professionalism."' ■ the Dubai based executive of the KLM told The Daily Star in an interview yesterday.
The new general manager in Bangladesh. Cees Ursen. and managing director of Traveltime Limited.’ Aminur Rahman, were present during the interview Traveltlme is the general sales agent for KLM in Bangladesh
Steller said KLM Is an independent airlines operating without any subsidy from the Netherlands government It maintains 155 destinations in 80 countries on its own and with Its business partner. Northwest airlines of the USA. the number of destinations would amount to nearly 400
Currently. KLM employs 24.000 staff worldwide with a large fleet of 90 aircraft, be said
We have the youngest fleet with an average aircraft age of four years each. Steller said adding that the Airlines would procure 10 new generation
Boeing 767 aircraft for its operations next year, each with a capacity of 220 passengers.
KLM will operate twlce-week by 747 jumbo Jet flights from Dhaka. The Jumbo has a
capacity of 465 seats.
The new office of the Dutch airlines in Dhaka, equipped will all modern facilities, will open in a day or two.
"With the new office in
Dhaka, we will set up a small training centre to improve the skills of our staff." the KLM vice-president said.
The Airlines has opened three offices In Chittagong. Sylhet and at the Zia Internationa) Airport with a staff of 60.
In keeping with Its reputation for innovation, the airline plans to hire four university students who will be trained here and In the Netherlands to conduct market survey.
Steller said hts company always prefers native people aS its office staff There are only six expatriate executives in 20 countries in the Middle East and the South Aslan region, he added
He recalled that the first KLM flight landed in D.iaka way back in 1924 on a routine test flight to Indonesia, then a Dutch colony
The Inaugural ’flight from Amsterdam on October 31 will carry deputy president of the airline C Den Hartog, the head of air transport policy division. Directorate of Civil Aviation. C Den Braven; former ambas sador of the Netherlands to Bangladesh Henricus Gajen taan: president. Amsterdam airport. Schipol H N J Smits; head of the department of Asia and Oceania Ministry of Foreign Affairs. K Van foorn and director general of Foreign Economic Relatkins. Ministry of Economic Affairs. F A Entering A Dutch trade dele gation will.also travel on the inaugural flight.
The Inaugural flight is ex petted to land at Zia at 8:10 am on October 31 and leave after a brief airport ceremony The two weekly flights will be on Mondays and Thursdays with a stopover in Dubai.
About the recent plague sit uation in India. Steller said KLM undertook massive preventive measures for its passengers and aircraft.
"We did not suspend our flights from India We checked every passenger three times and fumigated the aircraft and luggage.' he added
"Avoiding problems Is not the solution The KLM people are used to facing problems and tackling them " Steller said confidently