KLM Celebrates 107th Anniversary, Unveils New Delft Blue House

AMSTERDAM — On the occasion of its 107th anniversary, KLM (KL), the world’s oldest airline still operating under its original name, unveiled its latest Delft Blue house. Continuing with its long-standing miniature house traditions, the airline has decided to dedicate house n. 107 to Wijnhoeve De Kleine Schorre in Dreischor, a popular winery in the province of Zeeland, which has been supplying KLM with Dutch-made wine for more than 20 years. 

KLM recognizes that same pioneering spirit in De Kleine Schorre. When the vineyard was established on Zeeland soil in 2001, it was met with considerable skepticism. After all, premium wine was associated with the sunny hills of Southern Europe, not the heavy marine clay and salty winds of Schouwen-Duiveland. Defying expectations, De Kleine Schorre grew into a leading Dutch winery. Today, passengers from around the world enjoy its Zeeland wines from September to November in KLM World Business Class.

For 107 years, KLM has connected the Netherlands with the world. In doing so, we not only bring people together but also showcase what the Netherlands stands for. With our 107th Delft Blue miniature house, we honor De Kleine Schorre, a partner that, like KLM, dared to pioneer and has demonstrated how Dutch quality and craftsmanship can earn international recognition. That makes this house a fitting symbol of our 107th anniversary.” - Marjan Rintel, President & CEO of KLM.

“It is an enormous honor for our wine estate to become part of KLM’s miniature house collection. Twenty-five years ago, we started with the conviction that excellent wine could be made in the Netherlands, at a time when Dutch wine was nowhere to be found on wine lists. Thanks to our long-standing partnership with KLM, travelers from around the world have been introduced to wine from Zeeland. Having our wine estate immortalized as a Delft Blue KLM miniature house feels like a wonderful crowning achievement for everything we have built over the past 25 years.” - Johan van de Velde, owner of De Kleine Schorre.

Since the 1950s, KLM has presented Delft Blue miniature houses to World Business Class passengers on intercontinental flights. Since the 1990s, the houses have been filled with Bols Genever. They are miniature versions of notable buildings in the Netherlands and elsewhere and have become highly sought-after collectibles.

Since 1994, the number of houses in the collection has corresponded with KLM’s age. Each year on October 7, KLM’s anniversary, a new house is added to the collection. House No. 107 is the third landmark from Zeeland to be included in the series, following earlier houses in Middelburg (No. 6) and Veere (No. 22).

Fresh from the Airbus A350-900

On Friday, October 2, KLM officially took delivery of its very first Airbus A350-900. Since then, the aircraft has been operating crew training flights to Stavanger (SVG), Norway, multiple times a day. PH-ZNA is the first of two A350s that KL expects in 2026. 

The arrival of the aircraft was celebrated by the airline’s CEO, Marjan Rintel, inside Hangar 12. The CEO remarked how the A350s will contribute to reducing fuel consumption and noise levels around Amsterdam, with 22 aircraft set to join KL’s fleet in the long term. 

While the A350s will commence revenue service without the Business Class cabin for sale, it is important to highlight that KLM got particularly unlucky with the new recertification procedure. Having opted for an existing product, currently available on Air France’s Airbus A350-900s, KL was hoping to sell the cabin from the very beginning of operations. 

It can be estimated that the fuel-consumption advantage of the A350’s RR engines, lower weight, and improved aerodynamics will be offset by the loss of revenue from the premium cabin; the exact analysis is not yet available to the public.