KLM planning to retire B747-400 Combi fleet from 2016

 

KLM Royal Dutch Airlines  will phase out its fleet of seventeen B747-400(M)s between 2016 and 2020, Erik Varwijk, the executive Vice President of Air France-KLM-Martinair Cargo, has announced. Speaking to AirCargoWorld, Mr Varwijk said that some concern had been raised regarding the Combi's retirement given that neither Airbus Industrie and Boeing had any suitable replacements on offer. “We are still contemplating how we deal with that,” Varwijk admitted. In line with a recent announcement by Air France in which it said its Cargo division would see significant cutbacks, Mr Varwijk said that by 2015 there will be eight KLM and Martinair freighters based at Amsterdam and two Air France freighters based at Paris CDG. Air France is phasing out its last B747-400s while Martinair will retire a B747-400(F), operated on lease from KLM, and an MD-11(F).

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