KLM achieved an operating profit of 539 million euros in the third quarter of 2023, on a turnover of 3.425 billion. This is more than in the same quarter last year. The total number of flights worldwide is not yet at pre-corona levels. At the same time, people still want to travel by plane. This combination has led to the positive result, says KLM. Compared to before the corona crisis, KLM’s capacity is almost 90 percent due to the tight labour market and the long delivery times of aircraft parts. KLM welcomed 8.4 million passengers on board in the third quarter, which includes the summer holidays. At Transavia, this was 2.9 million passengers. “We achieved good financial results in the third quarter, because our customers want to travel,” says Marjan Rintel, CEO of KLM. “However, the first nine months were not without obstacles. The ongoing problems with the delivery times of parts worldwide and the still tight labour market mean that we cannot solve the bottlenecks that have arisen during corona as quickly as we would like. In addition, we are faced with uncertainty about the future of Schiphol and Dutch aviation. At KLM, we stay the course. We are going to fly cleaner, quieter and more economically, which is why we placed a billion-dollar order with Airbus in September for brand new Airbus A350s, which will replace older aircraft. We stand for a well-connected Netherlands and continue to invest in it. All KLM employees are committed to this. We also need a clear and stable government policy for this.’ (Photo KLM).
