Covid-19 gives Combi "Jumbo" one more chance
KLM Royal Dutch Airlines has joined hands with the health technology company Royal Philips and the Dutch government to create a special cargo air bridge between the Netherlands and China, offering two weekly flights from Amsterdam to Beijing and three weekly flights to Shanghai for the coming six to eight weeks. It was launched yesterday, 13 April 2020.
In view of the 90% decline in flights and anticipated future capacity, KLM previously decided in early March that it would phase out its remaining B747s in April 2020, instead of in the summer of 2021. For the benefit of this air bridge, however, KLM will now redeploy two Boeing 747 Combi aircraft to be used specifically on these two routes during the designated period, ensuring around 250 t of extra cargo capacity each way per week. (ah)