KLM defers 787 deliveries, routes

KLM Royal Dutch Airlines has postponed the delivery of two of its Boeing 787-9s, together with a batch of new routes. The delivery delays have been caused by the need to save cash, while the route deferrals are the result of an ongoing dispute with cabin crew unions.

KLM said last month it planned to defer deliveries of 10-12 aircraft in order to cut €600 million ($683 million) from its capital expenditure plan over the next two years, but at that time declined to say which aircraft would be affected.

KLM has 10 787-9s on order and the first is due to be delivered in October this year, as scheduled, a KLM spokeswoman said Friday. However, two of the batch will now be deferred. She declined to say which of the 10 will be affected, or for how long.

KLM is due to start an Amsterdam-Edmonton service May 5, but this will be delayed by two weeks, the spokeswoman said. Several other destinations due to be launched shortly after that date—to Bangkok, Rio de Janeiro, Nairobi, Toronto, Xiamen, Hangzhou, Shanghai and Chengdu—will also be delayed by an unspecified period.

The delays are the result of ongoing negotiations with the cabin crew union over a new collective labor agreement.

Negotiations were ongoing, she said, but “if we haven’t made a settlement with the unions by next Friday, perhaps more measures may have to be taken.” She declined to elaborate.

Passengers booked on to the planned new routes would be rebooked onto other flights, she said.

(Alan Dron - ATWOnline News)