DIRECT flights between Jersey and Amsterdam launched by KLM Royal Dutch Airlines at the start of this month have drawn interest both locally and abroad – with the majority of bookings being generated by visitors.
The service, which is currently operated weekly on Saturdays by KLM Cityhopper, will increase to daily flights between July and August.
Announced towards the end of last year, the route was hailed by Visit Jersey chief executive Tricia Warwick as “a significant step forward”, linking Jersey to “one of Europe’s most important travel hubs” and presenting “an opportunity to reach new visitors through KLM’s international network and expertise in the Dutch market”.
Jerome Salemi, Air France-KLM general manager for the UK, Jersey and Ireland, said it had so far seen “a healthy booking trend”.
“In June, the load factors for our Saturday flights are strong, having already reached 75%,” he continued.
“During the peak summer period when we offer daily services, our load factors for our Jersey flights are on par compared to our average load factor in the UK.”
A previous link between Jersey and Schiphol Airport was operated by EasyJet for just one summer season in 2023 before it was scrapped, with Ports of Jersey stating at the time that it “did not attract enough passengers from Amsterdam” to be retained.
However, Mr Salemi said that bookings on the KLM service were “coming in from both Islanders travelling to Amsterdam and beyond, as well as visitors”.
He revealed that over two-thirds of the bookings were being generated by visitors from various countries, “with the Netherlands in the lead”.
“The mix of traffic highlights that our services benefit local Islanders who wish to travel as well as supporting local businesses and inbound tourism.”
Mr Salemi previously told the JEP that the airline had an ambition for the route to be “long-term”.
