KLM sees operations deepening Nigeria-Dutch partnership

L-R: Michel Deelen, consul general of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Lagos; Pieter Bootsma, executive vice-president, commercial division, Air France KLM and Christine Quantin, country manager, Air France- KLM, Nigeria at the celebration of the 75th anniversary of KLM in Lagos.

Dutch Airline, Air France KLM has reassured customers that its commitment to excellent service operation will further strengthen the partnerships between Nigeria and the Dutch governments.

The airline brand noted that the celebration of its 75 years of operation over the weekend demonstrates the market’s strong confidence in the brand over the years.

Pieter Bootsma, executive vice-president, commercial division, Air France KLM said in the past 75 years, the airline has been connecting customers to the world with direct flights between Lagos and Schiphol with Nigeria being a very important market.

Bootsma, said that Africa and indeed Nigeria has always been a cornerstone in the network of KLM adding that customers from Africa are all over the world and to have Africa in their network is very important.

According to him, Africa is a very important part of the network and Air France KLM group is the main player between Europe and Africa”

Christine Quantin, country manager, Air France- KLM, Nigeria said the aim of the company is to move customer’s world through creating memorable experiences, a vision they strive to embody in all aspects of the business, including in their operation.

“For these 75 years, we have connected worlds for business for love and friendships. From global instabilities to changing economic conditions, KLM has successfully navigated the evolving landscape and we’ve also been able to maintain our operations from Nigeria”

We are more committed to the great country of Nigeria, committed to continue connecting Nigeria to the rest of the world for many more decades to come’ We are delighted to be celebrating 75 years of KLM taking to the Nigerian skies, showcasing our commitment to our Nigerian customers. Sustainable as possible, and further enhance the travel experience of our Nigerian customers” Quantin said

She further said that KLM has endeavoured to maintain its network as much as possible, adding that together with her sister company Air France, they now offer up to 15 weekly flights out of Nigeria, making it the oldest and biggest operator out of Nigeria.

“In the past months, we have seen demand for air travel increasing as Covid-19 restrictions are lifted in the Netherlands and other EU countries. KLM has responded by expanding capacity on European routes by 10 percent compared to last year, almost matching the 2019 pre-pandemic level” she said.

Commenting further, the country manager said KLM also expects business travel to return, which is why frequencies are added to British, German and Polish routes. As a brand, KLM will continue to contribute to Nigeria’s economy through sustainable efforts.

“We can’t forget to thank our customers, who’ve remained loyal to our brand even through turbulent times. Through their continued support, they have given us a reason to operate for seven and a half decades,”Quantin said.

Ifeoma Okeke-Korieocha

Ifeoma Okeke-Korieocha is the Aviation Correspondent at BusinessDay Media Limited, publishers of BusinessDay Newspapers. She is also the Deputy Editor, BusinessDay Weekender Magazine, the Saturday Weekend edition of BusinessDay. She holds a BSC in Mass Communication from the prestigious University of Nigeria, Nsukka and a Masters degree in Marketing at the University of Lagos. As the lead writer on the aviation desk, Ifeoma is responsible and in charge of the three weekly aviation and travel pages in BusinessDay and BDSunday. She also overseas and edits all pages of BusinessDay Saturday Weekender. She has written various investigative, features and news stories in aviation and business related issues and has been severally nominated for award in the category of Aviation Writer of the Year by the Nigeria Media Nite-Out awards; one of the Nigeria’s most prestigious media awards ceremonies. Ifeoma is a one-time winner of the prestigious Nigeria Media Merit Award under the 'Aviation Writer of the Year' Category. She is the 2025 Eloy Award winner under the Print Media Journalist category. She has undergone several journalism trainings by various prestigious organisations. Ifeoma is also a fellow of the Female Reporters Leadership Fellowship of the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism.