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SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — The San Diego International Airport is gearing up to say “hallo” to a new direct international route.
Starting next May, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines (KLM) will become the seventh airline to offer service from America’s Finest City to an international destination when it launches a nonstop route to Amsterdam, Netherlands.
The service to Netherland’s capital city will join direct connections to two other cities in Europe already offered through San Diego — London, U.K. and Munich, Germany.
“We are very pleased to have KLM join as the 19th carrier at SAN,” Kimberly Becker, CEO and president of the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority, said in a press release on the new service on Tuesday.
“This summer, European travel is up over 30 percent compared to last year. Amsterdam, with its iconic canals and world-class museums and corporate ties to the San Diego region, will be the 10th international destination offered from SAN and we look forward to a continued demand from both business and leisure international travelers,” she continued.
According to Tuesday’s announcement, KLM will offer three weekly flights to and from Amsterdam Airport Schiphol — one of Europe’s major air travel hubs with service to more than 300 destinations.
As KLM also operates under the SkyTeam Alliance, San Diegans traveling using one of the airline’s new routes will be able to seamlessly find connections to other cities across the world and collect rewards through shared royalty programs.
Other SkyTeam Alliance member airlines include Aerolíneas Argentinas, Aeroméxico, Air Europa, Air France, China Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Kenya Airways, Korean Air, Middle East Airlines, Scandinavian Airlines and Virgin Atlantic, among others.
“The launch of KLM’s direct service between Amsterdam and San Diego marks an exciting milestone in our North American expansion,” said Boaz Hulsman, vice president of commercial, North America at Air France-KLM. “This new route opens a gateway to Southern California’s dynamic economy while connecting the San Diego community to Amsterdam and beyond.”
