European Vacay
Austin’s first nonstop service to European hot spot ready to take off in 2022
Last May, Dutch airline KLM was supposed to start nonstop service between Austin and Amsterdam. But as with so many plans during the pandemic, the route got put on hold.
Now, KLM is ready once more to launch its Austin-to-Amsterdam route. Bryce Dubee, a spokesman for Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, says KLM plans to launch the route on March 28, 2022.
The route will operate three times a week (Monday, Thursday, and Saturday) using an A330-300 jet with 292 seats. Each plane features 30 business class seats, 40 premium economy seats, and 222 economy seats.
“Obviously, all of this still depends on COVID and transatlantic borders reopening,” Dubee says.
In a May 18 news release, KLM president and CEO Pieter Elbers says the airline is “extremely pleased” that more travel possibilities are opening up as the pandemic subsides.
“In this respect, we respond as flexibly as possible to market conditions,” Elbers says. “At KLM, we are prepared to carry our passengers to their destinations in a completely responsible manner. We offer our customers a flexible travel policy and the highest standard of hygiene.”
KLM announced the Austin-Amsterdam service in September 2019 — six months before the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a global health pandemic. At the time, the airline said its flight to Amsterdam would depart Austin at 6 pm and arrive there at 10:25 am local time, and its flight from Amsterdam would depart at 12:40 pm and arrive in Austin at 4:10 pm local time.
Other international destinations served by nonstops from Austin are Calgary, Canada; Cancun, Mexico; Frankfurt, Germany; London; Mexico City; Monterrey, Mexico; Los Cabos, Mexico; Nassau, Bahamas; and Toronto.
Earlier this year, Norwegian Air dropped its nonstop service between Austin and London, and canceled plans for its Austin-to-Paris route. Those moves came amid Norwegian’s pullout from the entire U.S. market.
