KLM launches its greenest Route

The Dutch Airline will fly recently, a day in the Swedish city of Växjö. To be worth for KLM financially - but also in a sustainable way.

To the at right angles to each Other, landscaped streets of the old town of Växjö neat wooden houses are built next to solid stone. People sit in cafes and Restaurants or meet at the lake. Cyclists roar through the centre. The atmosphere is relaxed. In the evening, calm returns in the Swedish provincial town with 91.000 inhabitants quickly.

And yet KLM flies since Monday (7. - May) daily from Amsterdam to Växjö. "In the environment of large corporations such as Ikea, and the wood processors Södra have your seat," explains Warner Rootliep in conversation with aeroTELEGRAPH. "In addition, 20,000 students," he chief of the regional subsidiary Cityhopper which operates flights through life here. The Dutch airline is hoping that the young people travel in the future, via Amsterdam to southern Europe or in the world.

The airport hopes to be on the upswing

So far, the residents of Växjö travel mostly by train three hours to Copenhagen, before you get on the plane. Only in the summer from the airport of the Region of Småland regular, Charter or cheap flights with Thomas Cook or Ryanair in the South. In 2017, he was one of 243.000 passengers. So that it is smaller than, for example, the Erfurt-Weimar airport. That's about to change thanks to the new offer from KLM. "We expect some 100,000 new passengers per year," says Airport CEO Ulf Axelsson.

In the case of KLM, it is aware that it is on such routes is not easy to be financially successful. Thanks to the Suction of the hub Amsterdam, the low cost of KLM city hopper, the global sales network of Air France-KLM and a regional sale, but it is believed to create the. And this, although the Airline at Amsterdam – Växjö itself is a additional hurdle.

CO2 is compensated

The latest track to be the greenest of KLM worldwide. The airline will fly to your with 5 percent Biofuel. "More is not possible, because the offer is too small," said city hopper-chief Rootliep. In addition, the alternative fuel can cost up to three Times as much as the conventional. The goal of the low-countries is 100 percent. By 2030 it will be ready, if KLM wants to be climate-neutral.

To get there, checks KLM with the timber Södra, the city of Växjö and the local universities the possibility of on-site bio-fuel. In the meantime, to compensate for the flight line and Växjö Småland Airport completely the CO2 emissions produced on flights to and from Amsterdam. The airport is involved, is due to the fact that he belongs to the Region and the city. "Växjö has set itself the goal of becoming the greenest city in Europe", says managing Director Axelsson. Therefore, there is a lot of understanding for such measures. "Even if they lead to higher Short-term losses."

You can see in the above image gallery are some impressions from the first flight to Växjö.

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