Editing KLM (section)

===Early years===
[[File:Klm-poster-1919.jpg|thumb|KLM poster featuring the airline's first commercial slogan. It is likely dated around the late 1920s, after it started service to Batavia.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.urbannebula.nl/?datatype=page&req=project&id=328|title=Urban Nebula|author=Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam|access-date=11 October 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131202224845/http://www.urbannebula.nl/?datatype=page&req=project&id=328|archive-date=2 December 2013}}</ref>]]

In 1919, a young aviator lieutenant named [[Albert Plesman]] sponsored the ELTA aviation exhibition in [[Amsterdam]]. Attendance at the exhibition was over half a million, and after it closed, several Dutch commercial interests intended to establish a Dutch airline, which Plesman was nominated to head.<ref name=KLMHistoryFU>{{cite journal|journal=International Directory of Company Histories|year=1999|volume=28|title=Koninklijke Luchtvaart Maatschappij, N.V. History|url=http://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/koninklijke-luchtvaart-maatschappij-n-v-history/|access-date=30 July 2013|archive-date=7 May 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150507092737/http://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/koninklijke-luchtvaart-maatschappij-n-v-history/|url-status=live}}</ref> In September 1919, [[Wilhelmina of the Netherlands|Queen Wilhelmina]] awarded the yet-to-be-founded KLM its "Royal" ("''[[Koninklijk]]e''") predicate.<ref name=KLMHistory>{{cite web|title=History|url=http://www.klm.com/corporate/en/about-klm/history/index.html|work=KLM Corporate|publisher=KLM|access-date=30 July 2013|archive-date=24 July 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130724011731/http://www.klm.com/corporate/en/about-klm/history/index.html|url-status=live}}</ref> On 7 October 1919, eight Dutch businessmen, including [[Frits Fentener van Vlissingen (1882)|Frits Fentener van Vlissingen]], founded KLM as one of the first commercial airline companies. Plesman became its first administrator and director.<ref name=KLMHistoryFU />

The first KLM flight took place on 17 May 1920. KNLM's first pilot, Jerry Shaw, flew from [[Croydon Airport]], London, to Amsterdam.<ref name=KLMHistory /> The flight was flown using a leased [[Aircraft Transport and Travel]] [[Airco DH.16|de Havilland DH-16]],<ref name=KLMHistory /> registration G-EALU, which was carrying two British journalists and some newspapers. In 1920, KLM carried 440 passengers and 22 tons of freight. In April 1921, after a winter hiatus, KLM resumed its services using its pilots, and [[Fokker F.II]] and [[Fokker F.III]] aircraft.<ref name=KLMHistory /> In 1921, KLM started scheduled services.

[[File:COLLECTIE TROPENMUSEUM Groepsportret voorafgaand aan het vertrek van directeur Rendorp van de KNILM per Fokker F-XII van de KLM naar Nederland TMnr 60027465.jpg|thumb|KLM Fokker F-XVIII departing from the [[Dutch East Indies]], 1932]]
KLM's first intercontinental experimental flight took off on 1 October 1924.<ref name=KLMHistory /> The final destination was [[Halim Perdanakusuma International Airport|Jakarta]] (then called '[[Batavia, Dutch East Indies|Batavia]]'), [[Java]], in the [[Dutch East Indies]] (present-day [[Indonesia]]); the flight used a [[Fokker F.VII]]<ref name=KLMHistory /> with registration H-NACC and was piloted by Jan Thomassen à Thuessink van der Hoop.<ref name="Aviacrash H-NACC">{{cite web | url=http://www.aviacrash.nl/paginas/h-nacc.htm | title=H-NACC | work=Aviacrash.nl | access-date=11 October 2015 | language=nl | archive-date=7 April 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230407203131/http://www.aviacrash.nl/paginas/h-nacc.htm | url-status=live }}</ref> In 1927, Baltimore millionaire [[Van Lear Black]], who had heard about the 1924 flight, chartered H-NADP to do the same flight, which departed June 15 and went successfully (16 days), and flew back to much rejoicing. This inspired KLM to make a second test flight, which left on 1 October, returning successfully with much experience gained.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.klm-va.nl/php/sites/event_historical/history_fokker.php|title=Fokker F.VII/VIIb-3m|work=klm-va.nl|access-date=4 December 2022|language=en|archive-date=5 December 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221205065330/https://www.klm-va.nl/php/sites/event_historical/history_fokker.php|url-status=live}}</ref> In September 1929, regular scheduled services between Amsterdam and Batavia commenced. Until the outbreak of the [[Second World War]] in 1939, this was the world's longest-distance scheduled service by airplane.<ref name=KLMHistory /> By 1926, it was offering flights to Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Brussels, Paris, London, Bremen, Copenhagen, and Malmö, using primarily Fokker F.II and Fokker F.III aircraft.<ref name="Heijn" >('''Dutch''') Albert Heijn, ed (1969) ''KL-50 – logboek van vijftig jaar vliegen''. Meijer, Amsterdam.</ref>

[[File:COLLECTIE TROPENMUSEUM Een groep Europeanen staat op het vliegveld Rambang voor het vliegtuig de Uiver dat is aangekomen op Lombok na afloop van de London-Melbourne-race in 1934 TMnr 10010712.jpg|thumb|KLM [[Douglas DC-2]] aircraft ''Uiver'' in transit at Rambang airfield on the east coast of [[Lombok]] island following the aircraft being placed second in the [[MacRobertson Air Race]] from [[RAF Mildenhall]], England, to Melbourne in 1934<ref>{{cite web |last= |first= |date=October 7, 2019 |title=The Flying Dutchmen: 100 years of KLM |url=https://www.europeana.eu/en/blog/the-flying-dutchmen-100-years-of-klm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191008081520/https://blog.europeana.eu/2019/10/the-flying-dutchmen-100-years-of-klm/ |archive-date=8 October 2019 |access-date=2023-11-24 |website=[[Europeana]]}}</ref>]]

In 1930, KLM carried 15,143 passengers. The [[Douglas DC-2]] was introduced on the Batavia service in 1934. The first experimental transatlantic KLM flight was between Amsterdam and [[Curaçao]] in December 1934 using the [[Fokker F.XVIII]] "Snip".<ref name=KLMHistory />

In July 1935 the KLM had three major international passenger flight crashes in one week. The [[1935 Amsterdam Fokker F.XXII crash|"Kwikstaart" crashed]] in Amsterdam on 14 July, the "Maraboe" in [[Bushir]] and on 20 July and the [[1935 San Giacomo Douglas DC-2 crash|“Gaai” crashed]] in [[Pian San Giacomo|San Giacomo]].<ref name=vv1>{{cite web|url=https://www.vergetenverleden.nl/KLM.html|title=Drie KLM vliegrampen in één week|website=vergetenverleden.nl|language=nl|access-date=1 September 2023|archive-date=7 December 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231207171204/https://www.vergetenverleden.nl/KLM.html|url-status=live}}</ref> The week of 14 to 20 July 1935 is known as the "black week". In these three crashes KLM lost three airplanes and lost crew in two crashes. With an earlierer crash in April of the "Leeuwerik", KLM had lost in 1935 around 15% of its pilots.<ref name=lib>{{cite web|url=https://ilibrariana.wordpress.com/2017/06/01/luchtvaartpionier-j-s-w-van-der-feijst-1904-1935/|title=LUCHTVAARTPIONIER J.S.W.VAN DER FEIJST (1904-1935)|work=Librariana|date=June 2017|language=nl|access-date=1 September 2023|archive-date=12 August 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230812205404/https://ilibrariana.wordpress.com/2017/06/01/luchtvaartpionier-j-s-w-van-der-feijst-1904-1935/|url-status=live}}</ref> As a result there was a shortage of crew members and airplanes. The Amsterdam—Milan flight service was as a result taken over by [[Deutsche Lufthansa]].<ref name=avia>{{cite web |url= http://www.aviacrash.nl/paginas/gaai.htm |title= De Gaai verongelukt bij San Giacomo |website= aviacrash.nl |language= nl |access-date= 1 September 2023 |archive-date= 12 August 2023 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20230812100346/http://www.aviacrash.nl/paginas/gaai.htm |url-status= live }}</ref>

The first of the airline's [[Douglas DC-3]] aircraft were delivered in 1936; these replaced the DC-2s on the service via Batavia to [[Sydney Airport|Sydney]]. KLM was the first airline to serve [[Manchester Airport|Manchester's new Ringway airport]], starting in June 1938. KLM was the only civilian airline to receive the [[Douglas DC-5]]; the airline used two of them in the West Indies and sold two to the East Indies government, and is thus the only airline to have operated all Douglas 'DC' models other than the DC-1.

====Second World War====
[[File:Douglas C-47A PH-TBP KLM ed Ringway 20.05.47 edited-2.jpg|thumb|KLM [[Douglas DC-3]] at [[Manchester Airport]] in 1947]]

The outbreak of the [[Second World War]] in September 1939 restricted KLM's operations, with flights over France and Germany prohibited, and many of its aircraft painted in overall orange to limit the potential for confusion with military aircraft. European routes were limited to services to Scandinavia, Belgium and the UK, with flights to Lisbon (bypassing both British and French airspace) starting in April 1940.{{sfn|West ''Air-Britain Archive'' Autumn 2011|p=134}}

When Germany invaded the Netherlands on 10 May 1940, several KLM aircraft—mostly DC-3s and a few DC-2s—were en route to or from the Far East, or were operating services in Europe. Five [[Douglas DC-3|DC-3s]] and one [[Douglas DC-2|DC-2]] were taken to Britain. During the war, these aircraft and crew members flew scheduled passenger flights between Bristol and Lisbon under [[British Overseas Airways Corporation|BOAC]] flight numbers and registration.{{citation needed|date=November 2015}}<ref>{{Cite journal |last=West |first=Michael |date=September 2011 |title=KLM in World War 2 |url=https://air-britain.com/pdfs/archive/Archive_2011.pdf |journal=Air-Britain Archive |volume=32 |issue=3 |page=134 |issn=0262-4923}}</ref>

On 3 March 1942, Douglas DC-3 PH-ALP "''Pelikaan''", then registered as PK-AFV, was [[1942 KNILM Douglas DC-3 shootdown|shot down over Western Australia]] by [[Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service]] [[Mitsubishi A6M Zero]]s during the [[attack on Broome]] while carrying a package of diamonds. The DC-3 crash landed at Carnot Bay, 80 kilometers from Broome. ''Pelikaan'' was subsequently strafed by the Zeros that had shot it down, killing three passengers and the flight engineer. Diamonds worth an estimated  150,000–300,000 [[A£|Australian pounds]] were stolen from the wreckage of the aircraft, and nobody has been convicted of the crime.

Douglas DC-3 PH-ALI "''Ibis''", then registered as G-AGBB, was attacked by the [[Luftwaffe]] on 15 November 1942, 19 April 1943, and finally shot down on 1 June 1943 as [[BOAC Flight 777]], killing all passengers and crew.

Some KLM aircraft and their crews ended up in the Australia-Dutch East Indies region, where they helped transport refugees from Japanese aggression in that area.<ref>{{cite web|date=2019-10-07|title=Celebrating KLM Royal Dutch Airlines 100th Anniversary|url=https://metroairportnews.com/celebrating-klm-royal-dutch-airlines-100th-anniversary/|access-date=2022-02-25|website=Metropolitan Airport News|language=en-US|archive-date=8 March 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220308154722/https://metroairportnews.com/celebrating-klm-royal-dutch-airlines-100th-anniversary/|url-status=live}}</ref>

Although operations paused in Europe, KLM continued to fly and expand in the Caribbean.<ref>{{cite web |last=Ogier |first=Frido |date=2016-05-05 |title=From Snipe to ALM – The history of KLM's West-Indian Operation |url=https://blog.klm.com/from-snipe-to-alm-the-history-of-klms-west-indian-operation/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191008133916/https://blog.klm.com/from-snipe-to-alm-the-history-of-klms-west-indian-operation/ |archive-date=8 October 2019 |access-date=2023-11-24 |website=blog.klm.com}}</ref>

==== Post-World War II ====

{{Rail freight
|title=Revenue passenger-kilometers, scheduled flights only, in millions
|float=left
|1947|454
|1950|766
|1955|1,485
|1960|2,660
|1965|3,342
|1971|6,330
|1975|10,077
|1980|14,058
|1985|18,039
|1995|44,458
|source=ICAO Digest of Statistics for 1947–55, IATA World Air Transport Statistics 1960–1995
}}
After the end of the Second World War in August 1945, KLM immediately started to rebuild its network. Since the Dutch East Indies were in a [[Indonesian National Revolution|state of revolt]], Plesman prioritised re-establishing KLM's route to Batavia. This service was reinstated by the end of 1945.<ref name=KLMHistoryFU /> Domestic and European flights resumed in September 1945, initially with a fleet of Douglas [[Douglas DC-3|DC-3s]] and [[Douglas DC-4]]s.<ref name=KLMHistory /> On 21 May 1946, KLM was the first continental European airline to start scheduled transatlantic flights between Amsterdam and [[New York City]] using Douglas DC-4 aircraft.<ref name=KLMHistory /> By 1948, KLM had reconstructed its network and services to Africa, North and South America, and the [[Caribbean]] resumed.<ref name=KLMHistoryFU />
[[File:Lockheed L-749A PH-TDK KLM RWY 07.07.53 edited-2.jpg|thumb|[[Lockheed Constellation|Lockheed L-749A Constellation]] of KLM in 1953]]
Long-range, pressurized [[Lockheed Constellation]]s<ref>{{cite web |last=Ogier |first=Frido |date=2014-09-20 |title=A Gracious Lady – The Lockheed Constellation |url=https://blog.klm.com/a-gracious-lady-the-lockheed-constellation/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151224103927/https://blog.klm.com/a-gracious-lady-the-lockheed-constellation/ |archive-date=24 December 2015 |access-date=2023-11-24 |work=KLM Blog}}</ref> and [[Douglas DC-6]]s<ref>{{cite web |last=Platoni |first=Kara |date=2009-07-01 |title=The Six |url=https://www.smithsonianmag.com/air-space-magazine/the-six-136034182/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151223190708/http://www.airspacemag.com/ist/?next=%2Fhistory-of-flight%2Fthe-six-136034182%2F |archive-date=23 December 2015 |access-date=2023-11-24 |publisher=Smithsonian (magazine)}}</ref> joined KLM's fleet in the late 1940s; the [[Convair 240]] short-range pressurized twin-engine airliner began European flights for the company in late 1948.<ref name="(Airline)1953">{{cite book|author=KLM (Airline)|title=Report|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=C0klAAAAMAAJ|year=1953}}</ref>

During the immediate post-war period, the Dutch government expressed interest in gaining a majority stake in KLM, thus partially nationalizing it. Plesman wanted KLM to remain a private company under private control; he allowed the Dutch government to acquire a minority stake in the airline.<ref name=KLMHistoryFU /> In 1950, KLM carried 356,069 passengers. The expansion of the network continued in the 1950s with the addition of several destinations in western North America.<ref name=KLMHistoryFU /> KLM's fleet expanded with the addition of new versions of the Lockheed Constellation and [[Lockheed L-188 Electra|Lockheed Electra]], of which KLM was the first European airline to fly.<ref name=KLMHistoryFU />

[[File:Vickers Viscount 803 PH-VIF KLM RWY 08.64 edited-4.jpg|thumb|KLM [[Vickers Viscount]] 803]]
On 31 December 1953, the founder and president of KLM, Albert Plesman, died at the age of 64.<ref name="FI founder 1959">{{cite journal |title=The Flying Dutchman is Forty |journal=Flight International |date=2 October 1959 |volume=76 |issue=2638 |page=321 |url=http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1959/1959%20-%202512.html |access-date=17 February 2013 |archive-date=7 January 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190107045907/https://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1959/1959%20-%202512.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="FI founder 1971">{{cite journal|title=The Netherlands' Aviation Industry – KLM Royal Dutch Airlines|journal=Flight International|date=13 May 1971|volume=99|issue=3244|page=686|url=http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1971/1971%20-%200777.html|access-date=17 February 2013|archive-date=7 January 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190107045909/https://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1971/1971%20-%200777.html|url-status=live}}</ref> He was succeeded as president by [[Fons Aler]].<ref>{{cite journal |title=Civil Aviation – To Succeed Dr. Plesman |journal=Flight International |date=19 March 1954 |volume=65 |issue=2356 |page=347 |url=http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1954/1954%20-%200767.html |access-date=17 February 2013 |archive-date=22 May 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130522040235/http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1954/1954%20-%200767.html |url-status=live }}</ref> After Plesman's death, the company and other airlines entered a difficult economic period. The conversion to jet aircraft placed a further financial burden on KLM. The Netherlands government increased its ownership of the company to two-thirds, thus partly nationalizing it. The board of directors remained under the control of private shareholders.<ref name=KLMHistoryFU />

On 25 July 1957, the airline introduced its flight simulator for the [[Douglas DC-7]]C – the last KLM aircraft with piston engines – which opened the transpolar route from Amsterdam via [[Anchorage]] to [[Tokyo]] on 1 November 1958.<ref name=KLMHistory /> Each crew flying the transpolar route over the Arctic was equipped with a winter survival kit, including a 7.62&nbsp;mm selective-fire [[AR-10]] carbine for use against polar bears, in the event the plane was forced down onto the polar ice.<ref>Pikula, Sam (Major), ''The ArmaLite AR-10'', Regnum Publications (1998), p. 73</ref> The four-engine turboprop [[Vickers Viscount]] 800 was introduced on European routes in 1957.<ref name="Airline Timetable Images">{{cite web|url=http://www.timetableimages.com/|title=Airline Timetable Images|website=www.timetableimages.com|access-date=2 August 2018|archive-date=2 February 2001|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010202024400/http://www.timetableimages.com/|url-status=live}}</ref> Beginning in September 1959, KLM introduced the four-engine turboprop [[Lockheed L-188 Electra]] onto some of its European and Middle Eastern routes.