KLM Royal Dutch Airlines stated (16-Jun-2021) it is anticipating a "cautious re-emergence of customer demand" for destinations in Asia and the Middle East, and outlined the following significant changes for its summer 2021 schedule compared to 2019:
- Asia
- There are 17 destinations planned for this summer, compared with 19 in 2019. Xiamen is temporarily closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic (although KLM partner Xiamen Airlines is currently flying to this destination). Service to Denpasar (Indonesia) will be offered as soon as Bali reopens, which will "hopefully" be later this summer;
- Phuket will be added as a destination in winter 2021. Flights to the Thai island will be offered four times a week;
- For the time being, flights to Hangzhou and Shanghai will keep the current stopover in Seoul. Once the rules change, KLM will make further adjustments to the schedules;
- KLM flies to Chengdu once a week with passengers and cargo, after which the flight continues on to Beijing via a stopover in Seoul. From there, KLM transports passengers and cargo back to Amsterdam;
- Service to Bangalore has been suspended;
- Middle East
- In the summer of 2021, KLM will fly to seven destinations - the same number as in 2019;
- KLM offers Riyadh as a new destination, with flights departing twice a week in the summer season and, starting in winter 2021, three times a week;
- Service to Abu Dhabi has been suspended, although KLM offers this destination as a codeshare with Etihad Airways. The expectation is that Abu Dhabi will be reintroduced as a destination in winter 2021, increasing the number of destinations in the Middle East to eight. [more - original PR]