KLM announced today that the airline will begin service between its hub at Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport (AMS) and Portland International Airport (PDX) starting this fall. This route will mark the Dutch flag carrier’s 12th destination in the United States. The new flight will replace Delta’s existing AMS-PDX route so this is more of a change in service rather than an addition. KLM and Delta are part of the SkyTeam transatlantic joint venture.
Beginning October 27th, 2024, KLM will operate the route 3x weekly (Sunday, Tuesday, and Friday) before expanding to 5x weekly (Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday) during the summer season. The airline will operate the route using Boeing 787-9 aircraft that feature 30 World Business Class seats, 21 Premium Economy seats, and 224 Economy seats.
The flights will operate on the following schedule:
Amsterdam (AMS) – Portland (PDX)
KL 615 Departs: 10:25a Arrives: 11:25a
Portland (PDX) – Amsterdam (AMS)
KL 616 Departs: 1:25p Arrives: 7:50a (+1)
Once KLM launches the route it will mark the end of long-haul Delta service at PDX. The airline inherited long-haul routes from Northwest as part of their merger but has prioritized Seattle as its primary Pacific Northwest gateway.
KLM also operates their Boeing 787-9s between Amsterdam and Austin so I’ve had the chance to fly with the airline in its World Business Class many times. While it isn’t the most cutting edge (the 787-9’s don’t have doors but they are in the process of being added to KLM’s widebody fleet) but I’ve enjoyed all of my flights with KLM.
The new flights are currently available for booking on the KLM website.
Summary
KLM is launching another new U.S. destination as the airline will begin flights between Portland and Amsterdam this fall. KLM is replacing Delta on the route as they eliminate all long-haul service from Portland.
Portland, Maine is beautiful š²
Wrong Portland unfortunately.