_BIOGRAPHY Fluent in five languages, he embarked on his aviation career with KLM back in 2007. His rich linguistic ability and professional dedication have contributed significantly to his progress. Eventually, he relocated to Budapest, the city that serves as the Alps and Central Europe's regional hub for Air France KLM. He made this substantial move with his wife and their five children.

““TOGETHER WITH OUR SKYTEAM PARTNERS, WE OFFER SERVICES TO 1,062 DESTINATIONS ACROSS 170 COUNTRIES. WE INVITE EVERYONE TO EXPERIENCE KLM, THE OLDEST AIRLINE STILL OPERATING UNDER ITS ORIGINAL NAME.”

CAN YOU PROVIDE AN OVERVIEW OF KLM'S OPERATIONS IN SERBIA AND THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE SERBIAN MARKET FOR THE AIRLINE?

For over a century, KLM has been a pioneer in the airline industry. KLM is the oldest airline still operating under its original name.  The KLM network connects the Netherlands with all the world’s key economic regions and is a powerful engine driving the Dutch economy. KLM Royal Dutch Airlines is part of the Air France–KLM Group. KLM is also a member of the global SkyTeam Alliance, which has 18 member airlines. KLM’s inaugural flight to Belgrade was on October 1, 1931. It was part of the route to Batavia in the Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia), passing through Leipzig and Budapest to Belgrade. The operation was put on hold in June 1935, resuming after the war on April 14, 1957, only to be suspended once again on April 1, 1958.

From 13 May 2021, Belgrade has been linked to Amsterdam via a direct KLM flight. At present, we offer a twice-daily service between these two capitals, affording our Serbian customers not only easy access to the Netherlands but also a gateway to numerous global destinations. The flights are operated by an Embraer 190 with 20 seats in Business Class and 80 seats in Economy class. From August 28 until October 29, we will enhance our service by operating our KLM flights using higher-capacity aircraft (B737).

With a large number of Serbs living outside of Serbia, KLM offers convenient connections to travel to US and Canada, particularly cities like New York, Chicago, Toronto, and Montreal. The direct Amsterdam-Belgrade flight has stimulated leisure travel interest to Latin American countries, particularly Peru, Chile, Argentina, and Brazil.

WHAT UNIQUE FEATURES OR ADVANTAGES DOES KLM OFFER TO SERBIAN TRAVELERS, AND HOW DOES THE AIRLINE CATER TO THE SPECIFIC NEEDS AND PREFERENCES OF THIS MARKET?

Passengers frequently express appreciation for KLM's exceptional product quality and the sincere care demonstrated by the crew across both economy and business class. Noticing a gap in the offerings on intercontinental flights, KLM introduced the Premium Comfort Class in 2022. This unique cabin class provides a middle ground between World Business Class and Economy Class, differentiating itself in product, seat, service level, and pricing.

Passengers in the Premium Comfort Cabin benefit from additional legroom, seat recline, and a superior catering service featuring a menu with two hot meals, one cold meal, and a dessert in the main meal service. The Sky Priority service is also available to these passengers, facilitating a quicker airport experience. Additionally, KLM recently unveiled new World Business Class seats across our B777 fleet. Drawing from extensive customer feedback and competitor research, these seats offer enhanced privacy and comfort, coupled with advancements in design, technology, and sustainability. These wider seats, featuring a sliding door for added comfort and privacy, are 10-15% lighter than other business class seats in this market segment. This not only supports KLM’s sustainability objectives but also elevates the passenger experience.

Our Frequent Flyer program, Flying Blue, is an invaluable travel companion for Air France and KLM customers. With over 135 global partners, including airlines, commercial partners, and banks, Flying Blue serves more than 18 million members by providing services specifically tailored to enhance their travel experience. For our business clientele, we offer the BlueBiz Program, a benchmark in corporate loyalty. Earning blue credits is straightforward and these can be redeemed for free tickets, adding significant value for our corporate customers.

WHAT INITIATIVES OR PARTNERSHIPS HAS KLM UNDERTAKEN TO PROMOTE SUSTAINABLE TRAVEL AND REDUCE THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF ITS OPERATIONS IN SERBIA?

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KLM remains committed to lessening our environmental impact, recognizing our responsibility in addressing global warming challenges. We're well-aware of the key factors in carbon reduction and are quickening our pace on the path to decarbonization. In line with this, we're collaborating with the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). Through scientifically backed targets and collaborative dialogues, we aim to establish and validate a path towards significant CO2 reduction. In doing so, KLM aligns our CO2 reduction targets with the United Nations' Paris Climate Agreement, which aims to keep global warming well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels to mitigate the effects of climate change.

Recently, KLM and Air France, among other airlines, pledged under the IATA umbrella to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. We acknowledge Earth's finite resources and emission limits. Over the years, we've dedicated our efforts at the national, European, and global levels to cooperate, innovate, and set agreements. By implementing Science Based Targets (SBTs), we can transparently reduce our CO2 emissions step by step. Initiatives like fleet renewal, utilization of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), and continual operational innovation and efficiency will aid us in reaching these targets.

The future of aviation will be significantly influenced by SAF. By focusing on reducing fuel use through fleet renewal and fostering innovation within our company and sector, KLM is set on diminishing CO2 emissions. We aspire to stimulate the SAF market, contributing to the broader energy transition. Our goal is to source SAF that yields at least 75% fewer CO2 emissions than its fossil kerosene equivalent. Thus, alongside reducing fuel consumption via operationally efficient modern aircraft, SAF serves as a crucial tool for CO2 reduction and advancing sustainable aviation. The higher costs and lagging production of SAF pose challenges, but through increased demand, we aim to stimulate the SAF market, facilitating supply scalability and cost reduction.

However, achieving zero emissions in aviation requires more than SAF alone. Radical innovations are necessary for the development of Zero Emission aircraft. This includes investments in alternative flight technologies such as hydrogen or electric aircraft, or a combination of both. We're actively participating in research and closely monitoring these progressive developments.

COULD YOU SHARE ANY UPCOMING PLANS OR DEVELOPMENTS THAT KLM HAS FOR THE SERBIAN MARKET, SUCH AS NEW ROUTES, ENHANCED SERVICES, OR COLLABORATIONS WITH LOCAL STAKEHOLDERS?

Every year, we hold an International Citizen Day, a unique opportunity for our colleagues to participate in activities that benefit the local community. We're excited to bring this initiative to Serbia in the upcoming autumn. We work in synergy with the Serbian business community, partaking in joint Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) events. Last year, we curated an inspiring event for our close corporate partners as part of the "EKOMOBILNOST" event. Here, we led a special panel discussion to share our CSR aspirations. It was an engaging dialogue that gave the public insight into the potential within the Airline Business and our contribution to environmental protection as a part of the AFKL Group.