KLM has reported a record number of passengers, with cargo results down for 2019.

In total, 35.1 million passengers flew with the airline in 2019, an increase of 2.7 per cent compared with 2018. The growth generated a passenger load factor of 89.4 per cent for the year as a whole, representing an increase of 0.3 percentage points compared to 2018. The airline says growth was especially prominent for destinations in Asia, Europe and in North, Central and South America.

“Once again today, we find ourselves in a stronger position than a year ago. Offering expanded customer service, we have succeeded in strengthening our worldwide network with the addition of six new destinations,” KLM president and CEO, Pieter Elbers, commented.

“This means that we now serve a total of 171 KLM destinations from Schiphol. In cooperation with our partners, we offer 694 destinations worldwide. And once again, we were able to retain the loyalty of our customers based on the quality and attractiveness of our products and services.”

Cargo results

For KLM Cargo, traffic fell by 3.5 per cent in 2019 as a whole, against a marginal capacity increase of 0.2 per cent. Consequently, cargo load factor dipped by 2.5 percentage points. KLM Cargo noted that cargo demand was strongly impacted by factors such as the US-China trade war, the general decrease in worldwide trade and dwindling economic growth.

New aircraft

KLM received its fourth Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner in December. The aircraft consumes up to 20% less fuel than other aircraft of similar size, KLM says, allowing the airline to further reduce its CO2 emissions.

Compared to KLM’s B747-combi, the Dreamliner is 46 per cent more fuel-efficient, the airline says. KLM is also optimising flight procedures and using weight-saving materials and sustainable biofuels to lower its emissions.

Find more KLM news at news.klm.com.