KLM passengers ready to link LJLA with all 5 continents

Although the first passenger is not due to use the new KLM service between Liverpool John Lennon Airport (LJLA) and Amsterdam for almost two months, bookings have already been made that will see passengers traveling between Liverpool and countries across all five continents.

KLM, who recently won the prestigious 2009 Business Travel World Award for Best Short Haul Travel Provider for the second time in five years, will commence their three times daily service from Liverpool to Amsterdam Schiphol Airport on 29th March. This new service will connect the Liverpool City Region, Cheshire and North Wales with over 100 worldwide destinations on KLM’s own intercontinental network and with over 650 destinations across KLM’s Skyteam partner networks via Schiphol.

Advance bookings on the new route are already encouraging and the global reach of the airline’s network and that of its partners is opening up worldwide access for LJLA. To date, passengers have booked on flights either to or from Liverpool and a host of countries across all five continents including China, Malaysia and the Philippines in Asia, Australia and New Zealand in Australasia, Sudan, Tanzania and Zambia in Africa, USA, Mexico and Uruguay in the Americas and a further 18 European countries.

Commenting on this latest news Neil Pakey, Deputy CEO of Peel Airports said, "This highlights what we have been saying for many years. By attracting a service such as KLM’s which feeds into such a comprehensive worldwide hub network, passengers now have the opportunity to travel between Liverpool and hundreds of cities across the world for the first time. Until now for many, Liverpool as a destination did not exist on the worldwide airline route network. These latest statistics clearly show this is no longer the case."

Everyone at the Airport is tremendously excited by the prospect of being able to welcome travellers from across the world to this great City Region."

Lorraine Rogers, Chief Executive of The Mersey Partnership (TMP) said: "Delivering this hub connection for Liverpool City Region has been both an Airport and a TMP priority for more than three years. We are delighted that our combined efforts to attract KLM have already met with such a resounding endorsement from international travellers maximising Liverpool’s enhanced global connectivity. The route will be a significant driver for further growth across our business sectors including tourism."

On the new route from Liverpool John Lennon Airport to Amsterdam Schiphol, Christine Ourmières, General Manager AIR FRANCE KLM UK & Ireland says: "our decision to operate this service from Liverpool John Lennon Airport is a significant part of our strategy to provide greater access to Amsterdam and the Netherlands from the UK regions. Fantastic destinations around the world are now easily reachable from Liverpool with KLM. We are pleased to reaffirm our commitment to the Liverpool region with this new direct service. We look forward to seeing both business and leisure passengers on board soon. I am convinced this route will be a success."