Three new destinations in the KLM winter schedule 1996/97 Expansion of capacity on existing routes.

AMSTERDAM--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 17, 1996--Beginning on Sunday, Oct. 27, KLM initiates its new Winter Schedule 1996/97 with the addition of three new destinations on its route network: San Juan on Puerto Rico, Bologna in Italy and Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan. Compared with the winter period 1995/96, KLM capacity is being increased by more than ten percent. In total 29,840 flights will be carried out during the period ending March 30, 1997. With respect to seating capacity, there will be more than 7.5 million seats available. KLM flies to 153 cities in 82 countries in the winter period.

San Juan on Puerto Rico is primarily a tourist destination. This city will be flown to twice a week with an MD-11 via St. Martin.

Bologna is KLM's fifth destination in Italy. Twice a day, Fokker 70s fly to this Northern Italian city. Bologna is important for both business and tourist traffic.

Flights to Baku began in September, in advance of the Winter Schedule. The capital of Azerbaijan is primarily a business traffic destination due to the immense quantities of oil, natural gas and minerals in the area. Flights to Baku--three times a week--will be flown on a Boeing 767.

More Fokker 70s

This coming winter, there will be growth in the number of flights in the European flight schedule for KLM and her regional holding KLM Cityhopper. Compared with the previous winter period, the number of flights within Europe have increased by 12 percent. This is among other things the result of the expansion of the Fokker 70 fleet from Cityhopper. In January 1997, KLM will have six of these aircraft at its disposal.

From the British cities Birmingham and Southampton, early morning flights have been introduced to Schiphol allowing better connections with other flights. Both the routes to Stavanger and Malmo will see larger aircraft--the Fokker 50 and Fokker 70--used. The number of daily flights to Lyon goes from two to three.

The Boeing 767, nine of which will be at the disposal of KLM during the coming winter, will also be used on the North Atlantic route. Some of the weekly flights to Memphis and Atlanta will be carried out with a Boeing 767. As of January 1997, the number of flights to Atlanta will increase from four to five per week. Taipei service will be increased by one flight to six a week, with an additional weekly flight to Accra being added beginning December third. KLM will then fly four times a week to the capital of Ghana.

With respect to Western Canada, KLM will focus on Vancouver and no longer fly to Calgary.

At the beginning of the Winter Schedule, all flights to New York will be carried out by KLM. During the summer period, Northwest Airlines has placed one of her aircraft on this route. In May of this year was the fiftieth year that KLM has had a regular service to New York City. The company flies with its American partner Northwest Airlines to eleven destinations in the US. In May, 1997, the twelfth destination, Newark, New Jersey, near New York City. These flights will be conducted by Northwest Airlines.

Partners

This coming winter, cooperation between various KLM partner airlines will be expanded. In January this year, KLM took a 26 percent stake in Kenya Airways. KLM now flies four times a week to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi. One of those flights, -- the Saturday flight -- will no longer be flown by KLM but by Kenya Airways, beginning November first. This is in anticipation of further integration of the networks from both companies. Kenya Airways carries out the flights between Nairobi and Amsterdam with an Airbus A310. These flights carry both a KLM and a Kenya Airways flight number.

Earlier this year KLM closed a code-share agreement with the Australian airline Ansett Australia. In addition to the current code-share flights from Sydney to Melbourne, Brisbane and Canberra Ansett will add flights to Adelaide and Cairns this winter, on a code-share basis. These flights also connect well with the KLM flights to Sydney.

The flight schedules of various European partners have been better coordinated with those of KLM this coming winter. This is particularly true for flights from partners connecting with intercontinental flights.

The KLM Product

Beginning with the Winter Schedule , KLM will only be publishing an English language World Timetable for the company. This will contain more information than previously was the case. During November, a complete service schedule will become available on KLM's Internet site. The KLM address on the Internet is: http://www.klm.nl/.

On short-haul European flights in Tourist Class, new sandwiches and other snacks will be offered. During the winter season, all flights--both Business and Tourist Class--will have completed the introduction of the new presentation line begun in July. This means that the trays will be set with colored place mats, newly designed menus, information cards, etc. Checks will be conducted during the coming months to determine whether the meal service can be further improved and more specifically geared to the wishes of the passengers and the timing of the flight.

For passengers in the World Business Class, the series of famous Delft Blue town houses has been extended. Number 77 in the series is a replica of the Auberge de Gouden Arend in Bredu. The goal is to introduce a new house every year.

KLM's loyalty program for frequent passengers, Flying Dutchman 'World of Difference', has recently begun working with two new partners: the Hilton International hotel chain and the automobile rental company, Hertz.

CONTACT: Odette Fodor-Gernaert

914/784-2480