The 86 year old Elsio Isenia recalls how his father took a day off at the Shell refinery to take him along at age six to a spot from where they could see the landing of the Snip. He said that for many of them the very first time they saw an airplane. All the hills around Hato were flocked by persons who witnessed the arrival of the Snip on that special day.

Elsio Isenia and Max Smits, KLM General Manager, Dutch Caribbean.

KLM celebrates anniversary in ABC islands 95 Years of Inspirational Aviation

As one of the first commercial in History in the Making The official name then was Royal the world, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines was An aviation exhibition held in the sum- Company for the mer of 1919 in Amsterdam convinced and Colonies, Inc. In 1946, the name in a favorable position to claim the blue a number of Dutch industrial leaders was simplified to just KLM, which of the sky as its corporate color. KLM is and bankers to invest in the start up internationally became KLM Royal the longest established airline still op- of a Dutch commercial airline. Even Dutch Airlines. erating under its original name since its before its official incorporation, Queen Wilhelmina awarded the upcoming air- Plesman was in charge of the fledg- foundation 95 years ago. Of those 95 line its “royal” predicate on September ing company’s daily operations. years, KLM has been flying to and from 12, 1919. The organizer of the exhibi- Supported by a staff of seven, he and Curaçao for exactly 80 years. Both anni- tion and young former flight lieuten- his colleagues worked through the ant of the Dutch Air Force, Albert winter of 1920 to prepare for the first versaries are worth a celebration. Plesman, founded the company on scheduled flight, which took place on TEXT FRANS HEILIGERS October 7, 1919, at the office of public May 17, 1920. Pilot Jerry Shaw flew notary Hendrik Stroop in . a De Haviland DH-16 from Crowdon

24 CURAÇAO BUSINESS | NUMBER 1 | 2015 Anniversary Actions The local KLM establishment celebrates the anniversary with a series of activities, such as a sort of a scavenger hunt for a suitcase hidden at the airports of Curaçao and Aruba, with clues on Facebook about to find the suitcase. There is also the opportunity to make a “sel- fie” and submit it to possibly win a KLM ticket. Those reaching the beautiful age of 80 in December this year received a birthday cake from KLM upon submitting their birth date to the company. Two persons who witnessed the arrival of the Snip back in 1934 were special guests at a reception for business relations on November 13th in Curaçao. Terminally ill children of Siloam Village were invited to have a look inside a KLM plane. Furthermore, KLM had a surprise one day of special rates in con- nection with the anniversary.

Airport in London to Amsterdam, carrying two to receive the flight. A Royal Netherlands Navy of the jetliner. The aircraft’s smoothly running British journalists and a package of newspapers submarine was stationed in the middle of the engines and higher flight capability which on board, as well as a letter from the Lord Mayor ocean to act as a navigation beacon. Equipped allowed it to fly above the weather brought of London to the Burgomaster of Amsterdam. with extra fuel tanks for the crossing the air- new standards of comfort, a sudden increase in The aircraft had to land on a muddy strip in the craft left Holland on December 15. Stops were airlines’ total capacity and shorter flying times. meadows where Schiphol International Airport scheduled in France, Spain, Morocco and the The globe seemed to have shrunk. Every major is now located and to this day is still the home Cape Verdian Islands before crossing the ocean. city on earth was brought within a 24-hour reach base of KLM. The London-Amsterdam route is It landed successfully at Zanderij in Surinam’s of other cities. the oldest service still operated by the inaugural capital Paramaribo on December 20. Two airline. days later, the Snip flew first to La Guaira in The Global Village Venezuela before ending its journey in Curaçao Since KLM’s incorporation 95 years ago, com- KLM’s first intercontinental flight took place at 3:00 in the afternoon, where the crew was mercial aviation has developed from an exclu- on October 1, 1924 to Batavia, located in the welcomed by a huge crowd. On that same day sive transportation mode for the happy few to a then, Dutch East Indies. Another landmark in they flew over Bonaire and then to Aruba, where highly sophisticated industry serving the travel KLM’s history was recorded in October 1934 they stayed for a short while before returning to needs of billions of people around the globe when KLM entered its first all-metal aircraft, a its new home base, Curaçao. each year. The concept of the “global village” Douglas DC-2, for the London-Melbourne Air would never have developed had there not been Race, which was organized to commemorate an airline industry to carry its inhabitants across the Australian city’s first centennial. KLM’s it within the span of a day. The same applies to standard production DC-2, named De Uiver, had logistic concepts such as overnight and just-in- to be modified to meet the criteria of specially KLM is the longest time delivery in the cargo transport sector. designed racing planes. The KLM crew, led established airline still by Captain Parmentier, managed to come in For many years the Curaçao airport carried first in the handicap category and second in the operating under its Dr. Albert Plesman in its name, before it was speed category. The plane carried four paying decided to name it the Hato International passengers because, besides gaining publicity original name since its Airport of Curaçao. The bust of Dr. Plesman, for KLM, Plesman wanted to demonstrate that foundation 95 years ago. which in the past was in the airport terminal, is scheduled air services between Europe and now located near KLM’s office at Hato Airport. Australia were commercially viable.

Curaçao Connection The first between Amsterdam The Jet Era and Curaçao came about in December of 1934 The late 1950’s saw the birth of a new generation using the F-XVIII Snip. The local gov- of commercial aircraft and the dawn of a new ernment prepared a piece of open land at Hato era in the history of civil aviation with the entry

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