KLM takes Delivery of First Boeing 777-300ER

KLM Royal Dutch Airlines has taken delivery of its first Boeing 777-300ER aircraft. Today, Wednesday, 13 February, the new Boeing 777-300ER bearing registration PH-BVA – the first of its kind registered in the Netherlands – will land as flight KL7461 at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol and take part in a welcoming ceremony.

In KLM’s two-class configuration, the Boeing 777-300ER will seat 425 passengers. Its nonstop flight range at maximum pay-load is 8,800 kilometers (5,530 nautical miles). The first two aircraft, to be delivered in early 2008, will be deployed on routes to Dubai, Sao Paulo, New York JFK, and Manila.

The Boeing 777-300ER aircraft will complement KLM’s existing fleet of 15 B777-200ERs, the shorter version of the B777. KLM has aligned the configuration and specification of its Boeing 777-300ER aircraft with Air France which has operated this aircraft type since May 2004.

Within its range, the Boeing 777-300ER is one of the most efficient and climate and environmentally friendly aircraft available. In KLM’s configuration, the aircraft has been equipped to offer e-enabled services to support operational management and communication in the air and on the ground, and to expand the range of e-services for customers at a later stage.

The Boeing 777-300ER is one of three new aircraft types KLM will be introducing in 2008, together with the Boeing 737-700 for its European fleet and the Embraer 190 for regional operator KLM cityhopper.

KLM’s Boeing 777-300ER will feature new, more comfortable seats in both business and economy class, offering state-of-the-art interactive and personal audio/video-on-demand.

The PH-BVA has been named “Nationaal Park De Hoge Veluwe,” in honor of the largest national park in the Netherlands.

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