Welcome aboard! 100 years of KLM Royal Dutch Airlines

It is 100 years since eight men with a shared vision came together to found an airline. They asked an ambitious ­­30- year old to take over the day-to-day running of the company.

Thus began the story of KLM Royal Dutch Airlines.

Ambition, pioneering spirit and entrepreneurial passion have carried KLM through the last century, so that it is still with us today. This sumptuous book describes how KLM, with its many facets, millions of passengers and tens of thousands of employees has reached the point that it can celebrate this centenary with, as always, a heartfelt Welcome aboard!

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Content

Welcome aboard! 4 chapter 1

KLM and the Netherlands: joined at the hip

6

chapter 2

Competition in a global market

56

chapter 3

In leaps and bounds: the story of aviation technology

112

chapter 4

The Flying Dutchman: KLM in the market

160

chapter 5

People make the company: KLM personnel

216

Thank you for flying KLM 266

Notes 272 Bibliography 277 Acknowledgements 279 With specials thanks to

280

Illustrations 280 Credits 280

chapter 1

KLM and the Netherlands: joined at the hip

6

welcome aboard!

klm and the netherlands: joined at the hip

KLM is more than just an airline, a brand or a multi­ national business. KLM is quintessentially Dutch, an integral part of Dutch society rooted in a centu­ ries-old tradition of commerce and transport. While everyone in the Netherlands has grown up with KLM and identifies with the company, the Dutch n ­ atio­nal airline’s reputation stretches far beyond the coun­ try’s borders. Like Shell, Heineken, Philips and Unilever, KLM is an icon of Dutch industry and one of the nation’s representative institutions, a piece of Dutch pride in every foreign airport. So, what is KLM’s image as a national icon based on? How much importance does the Dutch government attach to its national airline and how has the relationship between the state and KLM evolved? KLM has ­always been an enterprise with its own interests and ambi­ tions, which has sometimes placed it at odds with its legal and political framework as defined by the government. How has KLM responded? And how has the country responded to KLM in return? And how have changes in Dutch society affected KLM’s position and image over the years?

founding a royal airline The pace of life began to pick up in the mid-nineteenth century. New forms of transport – trains, cars, motor­ bikes and aeroplanes – brought people to their desti­ nations faster than ever, and to places that had once seemed inaccessible. For most people in the Western world this change of pace offered positive benefits.

Speed brought economic progress: time is money. It also had political repercussions, reinforcing military supremacy and enabling dominion over the colonies.1 Aviation appealed to the early twentieth-century

imagination, especially given the amazing speed with which it developed. Reams have been written about this pioneering period. Most of the publications recall the daredevils who sought out new frontiers, made dreams come true and established enduring ­reputations. In 1903, American bicycle manufacturers Wilbur and O ­ rville Wright made their first four historic flights. They flew in the air for a matter of seconds and ­travelled a few dozen metres.2 But, within barely a ­decade, many records had been broken. In 1909, Frenchman Louis Blériot crossed the English Channel and, in the same year, his compatriot Henry Farman travelled 232 kilometres in just six hours. These high-profile achievements contributed much to the image of ­aviation.3 As in many other sectors, political tension and war drove technological progress in aviation.4 Aircraft manufacturers made many improvements to what were still primitive aircraft, increasing their safety and reliability. It became apparent that aircraft were suitable for far more than just reconnaissance and espionage. They could be deployed in combat and aerial bombardment. With military advantage in mind, aircraft production increased massively.5 In 1913, the Dutch army established an air corps, LVA (Luchtvaart Afdeeling), although it was still in its infancy with 33 men and one leased aircraft. But by the start of the First World War in 1914, most military authorities realised that aerial power would have a key role to play in future confrontations.

When the war ended in November 1918, it was not long before people began to recognise the peace­ ful ­benefits of air travel. Aircraft were hailed as the

7

HEROES Aviation held a magical allure, in the early years espe­ cially. It was new, exciting and beyond the means of the majority. Pilots were heroes and their heroic image was reinforced by participation in special air races.

38

The Melbourne Air Race in 1934 is by far the most famous. KLM's DC-2 Uiver (PH-AJU) won the handicap race. Captain Koene Dirk Parmentier (second from left), co-pilot Jan Moll (second from right), flight engineer Bouwe Prins (right) and radio operator Cornelis van Brugge (left) were heroes.

Thousands of people turned out to show their admiration when they returned to the Netherlands.

The handicap race was of most interest to KLM, because it allowed the airline to demonstrate how it could carry ­passengers and cargo quickly and safely across a long ­distance. Plesman also hoped to acquire landing rights in Australia, on this occasion for Sydney. KLM's victory was clear, but did not lead to landing rights. It was 1951 before KLM landed its first aircraft in Sydney.

Many memorabilia were produced to mark the Uiver's success. KLM had this medal made to mark the safe return of the aircraft and its crew. The front was designed by M. Kutterink, the back by M.P.J. Fleur.

39

The airport’s many terraces were always full in good weather, before it moved in 1967.

The new Schiphol had facilities for visitors too. The Panorama Terrace still offers excel­ lent views of the aircraft and you don’t need an air ticket.

46

THE OTHER BLUE For a long time, there was a tradition at KLM that, whenever a new aircraft or route was launched, a Delft Blue plate would be commissioned to mark the occasion. As aircraft became more modern, they began to look odd depicted in this decoration.

Traditional Delftware painting was difficult to reconcile with the technical force of a Boeing 747, or an MD-11.

47

welcome aboard!

competition in a global market

responsible for supervising international civil aviation.

This United Nations specialised agency sets numerous standards for international civil aviation. This was no easy task in the early years, because of the speed at which aviation technologies developed. The emergence of new states in the postcolonial era, all of which foun­ ded their own airlines, also increased the complexity.4 The International Air Transport Association (IATA), founded in 1945, came to wield even greater influence than the ICAO. The IATA played an important role in post-war civil aviation history, especially with regard to price agreements. The tariffs set by the IATA came to be a feature of many bilateral agreements in the first 25 years after the Second World War. As a result of this international legal and financial framework, the

airlines operated for a long time in an anti-competitive environment.

In later years, new ‘freedoms’ were added to the Chicago agreements. The Sixth Freedom was especially signifi­ cant for KLM, with its relatively small domestic market.

It gave airlines the right to carry passengers and cargo from one country, through the home country of the airline, to a third country. This was the basis for KLM’s successful strategy of persuading customers from other European countries to fly via Schiphol to intercontinen­ tal destinations. The rapid development of Schiphol after the war enabled KLM to transport growing num­ bers of passengers and quantities of goods.5 Although changes to aviation law and the application of more

Nine Freedoms of the Air

Home State

a

B

a

B

a

B

a

B

a

B

Home State

B

a

B

Overfly

Home State Technical stop

Home State Set down traffic

Home State Pick up traffic

Home State Carry traffic to/from third State

a Carry traffic via Home State

Home State

Operate from second State to/from third State

In the 1930s, new destinations, such as Milan and Prague, were added to the KLM network. KLM operated the Prague route with the Czechoslovakian airline CLS. This poster is the result of a design competition that was initiated by Albert Plesman. Whether or not this poster was ever used is not known.

58

Home State

a

Carry traffic between two points in a foreign State

Home State Operate only in a foreign State

a

welcome aboard!

competition in a global market

‘freedoms’ were important, the core of aviation law was still national sovereignty over airspace. Consequently, nothing could be done in international aviation without the mutual consent of the relevant governments.6 The negotiation of landing rights took on a new dimen­ sion in the 1950s. To meet the growing demand for air transport, airlines had to invest substantially in new aircraft. Airlines’ capital intensity increased, which in turn affected bilateral agreements. More and more of­ ten these contained an economic component and were increasingly assessed in terms of a reciprocal exchange of benefits. Negotiators linked commercial rights for foreign airlines to the advantages that would be gene­ rated by exchanging landing rights. These financial

calculations made the system of bilateral negotiations increasingly complex, which wasn’t particularly to KLM’s advantage; for a small country like the Nether­ lands, it wasn’t always easy to achieve an equivalent exchange of economic benefits.7 In the 1950s, this led to a drawn-out conflict with the United States. The USA felt disadvantaged by KLM’s strategy of attracting passengers from other countries and held the view that there wasn’t an equivalent ex­ change of rights. While competitors, such as Lufthansa and Air France, were given the opportunity to operate services to more and more American destinations, New York remained KLM’s only destination on that side of the Atlantic. KLM’s directors believed the American aviation authorities could be persuaded to change

For many decades, there was a tradition of designing a new firstflight envelope every time a new route opened. The envelope was also carried on the first flight. This one was produced for the first KLM flight to New York on 21 May 1946. The addressee is Henk Veenendaal, then head of KLM’s Technical Services.

Houston was KLM’s second destination in the USA. The first flight to this new US destination departed from Schiphol on 3 September 1957.

This menu is a souvenir of a great dinner that was held at the Shamrock Hilton Hotel in Houston to celebrate.

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welcome aboard!

the flying dutchman: klm in the market

fill seats and cargo holds. It turned to adver­tisers for assistance. Promotional activities and advertising ­gradually shifted in the 1950s as air travel became asso­ ciated with tourism. KLM continued to employ posters, newspaper articles, lectures and exhibitions to gener­ ate enthusiasm for aviation, but, in the new era of mass tourism, the focus was increasingly on the ­destination.

The New York skyline, the sunny beaches of Nice, ­exotic dancers in the Far East, and giraffes in Africa were designed to seduce passengers to book a flight with KLM. Quintessentially Dutch windmills, tulips, clogs and traditional costumes enticed passengers from other countries to buy tickets to the N ­ etherlands.32 KLM’s often artistic, but sometimes cliché adver­ tising makes a colourful and varied collection, quite a contrast to its house style, which strove to be sober and dignified. In the late 1940s, KLM approached British advertising agency Crawford’s to bring more unifor­ mity to its publicity and to make it more recognisable as a brand. The advertisers conducted an extensive

survey of passengers and equipment and came up with a design combining spheres and stripes to represent movement and speed. Plesman was not impressed: ‘good enough for the advertising stuff, but would not be allowed on his aircraft.’33 And that was that – there would be no integrated house style for the time being.

In 1963, after years of research, KLM became the first Dutch company to adopt a complete house style.

All design work for the airline was to incorporate a modern emblem with a stylised crown above the letters KLM. The logo, by leading designer Henri Kay ­Henrion, was supported by a light blue and reinforced by a consistent use of the same typeface. The new house style was intended to emphasise KLM’s modern image and exude uniformity. Dutch newspaper De Volkskrant reported that Henrion had divised ‘the rules which every KLM office, from Tokyo to Turin, should keep to.

Every teaspoon and saucer, every trolley and aircraft, EVERYTHING would now be uniform. All around the globe.’34 But the world would have to wait a while to see

Since the 1920s, every­ one who booked a ticket was given labels to stick on their suitcases.

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welcome aboard!

the flying dutchman: klm in the market

this uniform image. KLM was reticent to introduce the new house style: in view of its poor operating results, it didn’t want to show off with the expensive British designer. The board therefore decided to introduce the house style gradually, as things were replaced: the old teaspoons, cups and napkins had to be used up before the new ones were ordered. It therefore took a few years before everything bore the same logo and was produced in the same house style.35 Although the house style was adjusted several times over the years, the logo with the stylised crown remained an integral part of KLM’s corporate identity.36 broadening the portfolio The arrival of jet engines and the introduction of wide-­ body aircraft in the 1960s and ‘70s created room for growth in air transport. More people boarded planes to more distant holiday locations. But scaling up initially led to periods of overcapacity. KLM’s load factor was low, which led to disappointing operating results. Once

more KLM had to focus on attracting more passengers, especially tourists, and on increasing turnover. The question was, which services would do most to achieve this? The scheduled service network formed the core of KLM’s business and that could not change. But the rise of charter airlines, such as Transavia, established in the 1965 and operating out of Schiphol within a year, posed a serious threat to regular scheduled services.37 To gain a toehold in the charter market, in 1964 KLM made a strategic investment in charter airline Martin Schröder, which had been established six years earlier.

In 1968, this share increased to 50%.38 KLM was now able to profit from the surge in tourists booking tickets with Martinair Holland – as it was renamed in 1966 – to sun, sand and sea holidays on the Costa del Sol. In sub­ sequent decades, Martinair became a major carrier for holidaymakers, allowing KLM to strengthen its profile as a premium brand. KLM’s participation in Martinair was part of a broader strategic plan. The airline would no longer focus exclusively on operating scheduled

An NLM first-flight envelope from 1966 marking the moment new life was breathed into the Dutch domestic network.

Service in First Class of a DC-8, mid-1960s.

169

FIEP AND KLM Dutch illustrator Fiep Westen­ dorp (1916-2004) gave a face to a number of iconic figures in Dutch children’s literature, but also worked for KLM on commission.

In 1955 she produced campaign material for KLM, including brochures, advertisements and a poster. Westendorp was commis­ sioned by Smit’s, one of the bestknown advertising agencies at the time. The illustrator received 2,500 guilders for her work – a considerable sum back then.

KLM asked Fiep Westendorp to draw advertisements focusing on KLM’s ­services. The core of the message had to be personal attention, one of the reasons people would recommend KLM to others. It is not known whether it was her idea to depict the cabin crew flying, but it does give the advertise­ ment a certain elegance and highlights the importance of the service on board. To be served by someone float­ ing above you is quite different from being served by someone in clogs.

Westendorp returned to KLM in 1964 when she made a children’s book for the airline with Dutch children’s author Annie M.G. Schmidt. The book was called Mirror Tour and is about a grand­ mother and grandfather who have a special mirror in which they can see their grandchildren who go on a jour­ ney around the world. When the child­ ren have had enough – and the mirror breaks unexpectedly – KLM knows what to do. Grandma and grandpa get tickets to carry them to the children by plane. KLM paid Schmidt and Westen­ dorp in air tickets for their work.

196

Poster, 1955.

Brochures, 1955.

Children’s book Mirror Tour, 1964.

Show card, 1955.

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welcome aboard!

with special thanks to | illustrations | credits

With special thanks to Paris Abstract, Johan de Bruijn, Siska Diddens, Anneke Eijkelboom, Jan Hagens, Joes Hamelink, Ron de Hoog, Jan Hoogendijk, Margriet Jurg, Mieke Klaassens, Monique Kooper, Vera van der Linden, Valentin Ocheda, Cecile Ogink, Raymond Oostergo, Patricia Pince van der Aa, Pierre Poell, Will Porrio, Frits Rotgans jr., Mirjam Schreurs, Magda Utama, Henk van de Wal, Marcel Wanders, Luchtvaart Themapark Aviodrome, Nationaal Glasmuseum.

Illustrations Photographs are from the KLM Photo Collection held at the Maria Austria Institute, unless stated otherwise.

– Amsterdam Museum: p. 40 – Anne Dokter: p. 105 – Bob van Dam: p. 46 – Centraal Museum, Utrecht: p. 207 – Haags Gemeentearchief: p. 31 – Het Nieuwe Instituut, Rotterdam: p. 207 – Hella Jongerius/ Jongeriuslab, Berlin: p. 208 – KLM Health Services BV, Schiphol-Oost: p. 243 – Koninklijk Huisarchief, The Hague: p. 29 – Luchtvaart Themapark Aviodrome, Lelystad: pp. 8, 26, 27, 37,

93, 104, 132-133, 142, 145, 182-183, 236

– Marco Spuijman: pp. 77, 111 – Mark Wagtendonk: pp. 246-247 – Maria Austria Institute: Amsterdam:

Carel Blazer: p. 212 Frits Lemaire: p. 106 Bert Nienhuis: p. 107 Kees Scherer: p. 212 Nico van der Stam, front cover Jan Versnel: p. 244 Ad Windig: p. 213 – National Archives, The Hague; Collection Spaarnestad: – Collection Spaarnestad: p. 75 Henk Hillerman: p. 151 Hille Kleinstra: pp. 106-107 – Collectie Anefo, pp. 108, 215 – Collectie Anefo, Hugo van Gelderen: p. 153 – Collectie Anefo, Eric Koch: pp. 147, 215 – Nederlands Fotomuseum, Rotterdam: p. 46 – Frits Rotgans: pp. 125, 140, 148-149, 235 – Paul Huf: p. 195 – Richard Willebrands: p. 45 – TU Delft: p. 131 – © Jongeriuslab, Berlin: p. 208 – © Fiep Amsterdam bv; Fiep Westendorp Illustrations, Amsterdam: pp. 196, 197 Front cover: Passengers at Schiphol, circa 1964.

Back cover: Wings given to children during the flight.

Credits published by WBOOKS, Zwolle info@wbooks.com www.wbooks.com with KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, Amstelveen

english translations and editing Annabel Howland Steve Schwartz Richard de Nooy Kevin Martley Sam Herman

idea Dick Jansen Bram Bouwens Frido Ogier

© 2019 WBOOKS Zwolle All rights reserved. Nothing from this publication may be reproduced, multiplied, stored in an electronic data file, or made public in any form or in any manner, be it electronic, mechanical, through photocopying, recording or in any other way, without the advance written permission of the publisher.

The publisher has endeavoured to settle image rights in accordance with legal requirements. Any party who nevertheless deems they have a claim to certain rights may apply to the publisher.

Copyright of the work of artists affiliated with a CISAC organisation has been arranged with Pictoright of Amsterdam.

texts Bram Bouwens Frido Ogier picture editor Frido Ogier design Riesenkind, ’s-Hertogenbosch photography Albertine Dijkema, A10design, Amersfoort Frans Kanters, Amersfoort Mariëlle Gonzalez, Amstelveen

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© c/o Pictoright Amsterdam 2019.

ISBN 978 94 625 8321 4 (NL) ISBN 978 94 625 8322 1 (ENG) NUR 680, 696

It is 100 years since eight men with a shared vision came together to found an airline. They asked an ambitious ­­30- year old to take over the day-to-day running of the company.

Thus began the story of KLM Royal Dutch Airlines.

Ambition, pioneering spirit and entrepreneurial passion have carried KLM through the last century, so that it is still with us today. This sumptuous book describes how KLM, with its many facets, millions of passengers and tens of thousands of employees has reached the point that it can celebrate this centenary with, as always, a heartfelt Welcome aboard!

www.wbooks.com