Two years after its initial announcement, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, the flagship carrier of the Netherlands, commenced non-stop service between Austin-Bergstrom International Airport and Amsterdam Airport Schiphol on Monday (March 28), according to a City of Austin press release.
Austin Mayor Steve Adler participated in a ceremony to kick off the new international route, which the release said will be flown on Monday, Thursday and Saturday.
"We're celebrating a new nonstop @KLM flight from @AUStinAirport to Amsterdam, opening doors to exciting possibilities as Austin becomes an increasingly international city," Adler tweeted. "This flight brings us closer together with a shared love of art, music and innovation."
According to the release, the addition of AUS brings the number of KLM's direct U.S. destinations to a dozen.
KLM president and CEO Pieter Elbers said in the release that the Texas state capital is the airline's 19th North American destination.
"Austin is now connected to KLM’s global network, and Europeans have direct access to the thriving culture and tech community in Austin,” Elbers said.
The Austin Journal reported that the service was supposed to debut in May 2020, but those plans were dashed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
KLM is among the cadre of European airlines that serve or will soon serve Central Texas.
British Airways has been flying between the Texas state capital and London Heathrow since last October while Germany's flagship airline, Lufthansa, will resume flights between AUS and Frankfurt Airport next Friday (April 8).
Austin is the second Lone Star State destination for KLM after Houston's George Bush Intercontinental Airport, per the city.
“Austin is a growing city that prides itself in providing a variety of transportation options including air travel to its residents and Central Texans,” Austin Assistant City Manager for Mobility Gina Fiandaca said in the release. “I can’t think of a better or more exciting way to improve our air mobility network than offering a nonstop flight to Amsterdam, which opens the door to over 60 destinations across Europe, Africa and India.”