KLM
Royal Dutch Airlines, which has introduced a new Delft Blue Houses for its intercontinental business class
passengers since the 1950s, has presented the newest edition of the souvenir to celebrate its 105th birthday.
Dedicated to a house built in the 1600s
According to KLM, the Delft Blue House issued to celebrate its 105th birthday will be a miniature version of Het huis aan de drie grachten, a house in Amsterdam, the Netherlands
.
The house borders three canals in the Dutch capital, namely the Grimburgwal, the Oudezijds Voorburgwal, and the Oudezijds Achterburgwal.
KLM said that the house, which was built in 1610 using the Dutch Renaissance style, has the status of being a national monument, owning its name to the fact that it has the three aforementioned canals in the area that provide different angles to the house.
Photo: KLM
Het huis aan de drie grachten was renovated in 1909 and, since then, has become an architectural masterpiece, according to KLM.
“The architect, Jan de Meyer, wanted to completely restore the canal house to its 17th-century state after it had been sold, divided, and renovated several times since 1687.”
De Meyer added new window frames, stepped gables, and a sandstone door frame to the house, with the architect also working on restoring the interior.
For years, the inspiration for KLM’s 105th Delft Blue House was used as a bookshop and publishing house, the airline added.
When the Dutch carrier celebrated its 104th birthday, the Delft Blue House was the Valkenburg aan de Geul train station, a castle-like building that was first used as a train station in 1853.
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Admitting to challenging times
Despite the joyous occasion, Marjan Rintel, the president and chief executive officer (CEO) of KLM, admitted that the airline was celebrating its 105th birthday during a challenging period.
“However, in our 105-year history, we have often faced headwinds and KLM has always shown itself to be creative and resilient in overcoming them. Our goal is and remains a healthy and future-proof KLM.”
Rintel was referring to the austerity measures KLM introduced on October 3 to improve the carrier’s financial performance. This included investment cuts to non-critical areas, plans to improve labor productivity, and the potential upgrades or introduction of new onboard products.
Photo: Vincenzo Pace | Simple Flying
However, these have not been finalized, and the airline said that it would still consult its unions and employee groups.
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Tradition dating back to the 1950s
According to KLM, it has been handing out Delft Blue Houses filled with Bols Jenever – a Dutch gin – to World Business Class passengers traveling on intercontinental flights since the 1950s.
The houses are miniature recreations of buildings in the Netherlands and abroad and have a special history. They are highly sought-after collector’s items, KLM noted.
Photo: KLM
Since 1994, the number of houses has been synced with the birthday of KLM, with the collection being filled with a new Delf Blue House on October 7 annually.
