KLM Operates Unique First Flight With Air France Pilots
- Joe Breitfeller
- 5 hours ago
- 2 min read
A special collaboration between KLM and Air France started today with the departure of flight KL641, a Boeing 777-200, from Amsterdam Airport Schiphol to New York-JFK, as the flight was jointly operated by Air France pilots and KLM cabin crew.
On Wednesday (July 16, 2025), KLM announced the start of a special collaboration with Air France, operating a mixed crew flight for the first time. This afternoon at 13:25 KLM flight KL641, a Boeing 777-200, departed Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS) for New York (JFK) with Air France Pilots and KLM cabin crew. Air France pilots will operate this flight for four months, allowing KLM to optimize the potential of the entire Air France-KLM Group’s workforce to operate scheduled flights.
In Wednesday’s announcement, KLM’s Chief Operating Officer, Maarten Stienen, said,
“This collaboration will help KLM to operate its scheduled flights this summer. It supplements our capacity this summer, which is good for KLM as a whole. I am proud that we have made this possible within the Air France-KLM Group. I wish all my colleagues on the route a safe flight and a pleasant collaboration.”
Over the past few months, Air France and KLM teams worked tirelessly to carefully work out all the details, coordinate many internal and external stakeholders, including unions and aviation authorities, to ensure a smooth operation. The joint flights include one aircraft on the route between John F. Kennedy Airport in New York and Schiphol, which will be crewed by Air France pilots starting today. This will last until the end of the summer schedule on October 25, 2025.
Source: KLM Royal Dutch Airlines