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2 Executives of KLM , Airbus and the Dutch Government posing with the new aircraft in Amsterdam Schiphol . After a speech from the Minister of Infrastructure and Water Management , the audience was allowed to board the first A321neo in KLM ’ s fleet . Photo : KLM |
“ I ’ VE BEEN LOOKING FORWARD to this with great anticipation ,” said Marjan Rintel , President and CEO of KLM .
She was welcoming the new A321neo , Swallowtail , at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport . The arrival of PH-AXA marked the last act in an Air France- KLM group revolution that had started back in 2021 .
“ The arrival of the first A321neo marks the start of replacing our Boeing 737 fleet ,” Rintel went on . “ The A321neo produces less noise and CO 2 and , therefore , contributes significantly to a cleaner , quieter future . It
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also offers more comfort . I am looking forward to seeing how our passengers will experience the new aircraft .”
We went onboard to see for ourselves .
ORDERING THE NEO
On December 16 , 2021 , Air France-KLM , the fourthlargest airline group in Europe , announced a groundbreaking firm order for 100 A320neo aircraft and 60 options to join the KLM , Transavia Netherlands , and Transavia France fleets . Besides being part of the same group , the three airlines have
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something else in common : the Boeing 737 .
For decades , the three have operated the type out of airports in the Netherlands and France , offering nonstop connections to leisure destinations in Europe , Africa , and Asia . Electing to replace the Boeing 737 family with its direct competitor , the A320 one , may seem counterintuitive , counterproductive , and costly . However , the advantages of the new neo family over its competitors — and previous generations — are well known .
The A321neo adds muchneeded capacity to the group ’ s
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