KLM ROYAL DUTCH Airlines is studying a sweeping re-organisation plan involving the replacement of its Boeing 747-300 and McDonnell Douglas (MDC) MD-11 fleets with the Boeing 777-300.
The strategic plan is believed to involve the sale of its new MD-11 fleet to US partner Northwest Airlines, which is interested in building a fleet of the long-range tri-jets. KLM will eventually operate a fleet of 10 MD-11s. The plan calls for all the tri-jets, possibly including the airline's four MDC DC-10-30s, to be transferred by 2000.
The long-range routes now operated with the MD-11s and a 16-strong fleet of 747-300s would be taken over by a new fleet of stretched 777-300s by 2000. Some of these routes will be augmented by a fleet of ten 767-300ERs which KLM is leasing from International Lease Finance.
Other points of the strategic plan, which is believed to have been discussed by KLM President Peter Bouw, during his visit to Boeing, to mark the delivery of the first 767, include sweeping changes to KLM's regional carrier, KLM CityHopper. These include the purchase of Canadair Regional Jets to replace the carrier's ten Fokker 50s.
Many of the new routes operated by the revamped fleet would be flown from a new hub, which KLM is considering as part of the plan. Madrid or Barcelona Spain are thought to be among the locations which are now under consideration.
Source: Flight International
