In a first step, and part of KLM’s ‘Fly Responsibly’ commitment, KLM announced on 13 September 2019, that they will replace 1 of its 5 daily services between Brussels and Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, with a Thalys high-speed train from 29 March 2020.
Over recent months, KLM, Thalys, and NSDutch Railways have developed a long-term plan to gradually cut back on the number of short-haul flights between Brussels and Schiphol, on the promise that the new the trains fully match speed, reliability and comfort of current air travel.
2-3% of all manmade global carbon emissions come from aviation, with 4.6 billion journeys being made per year, by air.
KLM President and CEO Pieter Elbers, says “Intermodal transport involving trains and planes remains a complex and challenging business. Speed is key, not only in terms of the train itself, but also the transfer process at the airport. We aim to make maximum progress in both areas. Reducing our frequency from five to four flights a day is a good way of gaining more experience with Air&Rail services”.
In a marketing campaign in July, KLM announced that it wanted to encourage passengers to “make responsible decisions about flying” (source). KLM’s ‘Fly Responsibly’ programme, aims to create a sustainable future for air transport, as well as, its commitments to the sector plan, Smart and Sustainable. For more information on KLM’s Fly Responsibility Programme, click here. In separate news, announced 14 September 2019, KLM announced that Air France-KLM was back at the top of the ‘Airlines’ category of the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI).
