KLM announced plans to become the first airline to offer direct flights
between Europe and the Chinese city of Xiamen. Service from Amsterdam is
scheduled to begin March 27, 2011. The Dutch airline would operate three daily
flights with Boeing 777s in a two-class configuration.
As the second-largest city in the province of Fujian, Xiamen has a
population of 3 million. According to KLM, the city is undergoing rapid
economic growth and attracting large multinational corporations.
By adding Xiamen to its network, KLM would offer service to seven
destinations in "Greater China" (including Hong Kong and Taiwan),
more than any other European carrier. KLM's SkyTeam partner China Southern
Airlines offers numerous onward domestic Chinese connections from Xiamen.