KLM may return to Kazakhstan

The Royal Dutch airline KLM may return to Kazakhstan. At least, this question became a significant part of talks between Askar Zhumagaliev, Kazakhstan’s ambassador to the Netherlands and KLM top officials: Frank Prilevitz, vice president for international affairs and corporate law and Seth van Straten, KLM network director.

As Askar Zhumagaliyev noted, there are no direct flights to Kazakhstan from the Netherlands. As a result, Dutch entrepreneurs have to make transfers while traveling to Kazakhstan, and of course, resuming direct air travel can boost cooperation between the two countries.

“There is a great opportunity for KLM to restore direct flights and meet the demand. Kazakhstan is a big logistics hub in the region and KLM can take advantage of it. We are ready to support you on our side,” said Zhumagaliyev.

In turn, representatives of the Dutch airline noted that the company’s top priority now is the rebounding of frequency and number of destinations to their pre-pandemic levels. However, both sides have agreed to continue negotiations about potentially resuming direct air travel between Kazakhstan and the Netherlands.

KLM Royal Dutch Airlines is the flagship airline of the Netherlands. As of 2021, the company has 35,488 employees and a fleet of 110 aircraft (subsidiaries are not included). KLM carries out passenger and cargo flights to 145 destinations. The airline used to work in Kazakhstan over the period from 2005 to 2017.