KLM officially added its first Airbus A321neo to its network on Monday with a maiden flight between Amsterdam and Copenhagen.
The only aircraft of the type received so far, PH-AXA took off at 7:15 a.m. from Schiphok and landed almost an hour later in the Danish capital.
After returning to the Netherlands, the 227-seat aircraft also flew to Berlin, Germany, and Stockholm, Sweden.
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The three destinations will continue to feature the A321neo until the end of the year, when KLM will add cities such as Paris, Prague and Vienna. Airbus plans to deliver three more of the type in 2024.
“Today is a special day for KLM, with the first official flight of the brand-new Airbus A321neo. Early in the morning, the first luggage containers were loaded, the crew boarded, and the passengers checked in. The first flights are headed to Copenhagen, Berlin, and Stockholm,” the carrier celebrated.
The introduction of the A320neo family jets will profoundly change the veteran airline, which until now had placed its trust in the Boeing 737, of which it has 42 aircraft.
In 2021, however, the Air France-KLM group announced a large order for Airbus’ narrow-body jets, amid the problems affecting its rival 737 MAX.
PH-AXA aircraft arrived in the Netherlands on August 27, marking the beginning of the end of the 737 era.
