Diversity and inclusion at KLM

KLM aims to foster an inclusive environment where everyone feels welcome, respected, and recognised, whether a customer, employee, supplier or otherwise connected to KLM. At KLM, we believe in genuine connections with all our people. That is why we embed thoughtfulness and care into the KLM experience for passengers, employees, locals, economies, and communities.

"The ocean of the air unites all people."

- Albert Plesman, founder of KLM Royal Dutch Airlines

Who we are

We are a global airline and have connected people for over 100 years. Ever since 1919, we have brought worlds and lives together. The Netherlands, our home, has long been a crossroads and meeting place for people from various cultures, backgrounds, and perspectives.

We would like to differentiate ourselves with the following:

  • Meaningful interactions: our people are at the heart of our organisation, creating a warm and personal connection with our passengers.
  • Efficient connections: we ensure timely arrival and departure, and seamless transfers for our passengers at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, including our partner network.
  • Control and peace of mind: We help passengers travel confidently by transparently informing and empowering them to customise their journey seamlessly.

The world we operate in

We believe in the value of creating meaningful connections with people all over the globe. Almost 80% of our customers are of non-Dutch nationality. It is estimated that 10% of the world's population identifies as belonging to the LGBTQI+ community. Over 1 billion people globally experience some form of disability or functional impairment. Our workforce strives to embrace and reflect the diversity of all our passengers and society.

What we believe

Our workforce comprises people of different ages, genders, orientations, ethnic-cultural backgrounds, personalities, experiences, and more. A diverse and inclusive company culture creates the right employee mindset, empowering our employees to deliver excellent customer service and create the best experience for our passengers.

We also believe that a diverse and inclusive workplace can benefit KLM as a company. Each of us bring a unique perspective and life experience to work. Most importantly, together and individually, we can make a positive difference for our passengers and bring out the best in us and each other.

The path to inclusion is an ongoing learning process. We know we are not there yet and are humble in knowing that this journey is continuous. That is why we strive to be inclusive daily, to learn and improve as we go along constantly.

Inclusion is not just about meeting standards; it’s about unlocking potential. By celebrating both our commonalities and our differences, we become wiser.

We are strongly motivated in creating memorable experiences for the many diverse passengers we serve by creating a welcoming and respectful environment.

- Barry ter Voert, CXO KLM

What we do

To ensure that everyone feels welcome, respected, and recognised, these are some of the actions, projects, and initiatives we take:

  • We keep raising the bar on gender balancing targets.
  • We listen to the needs of our passengers, employees, leadership, and society through engagement surveys, research, and studies.
  • We develop awareness of our biases through training and workshops, including briefings before the flight and during our recruitment process.
  • We are rolling out options for passengers who do not identify themselves as male or female, such as selecting ‘mx’ during their booking process, at check-in, in My Trip, etc., for gender-neutral greetings.
  • For people with visible or invisible disabilities, we work on pre-travel support and detailed information on special services, extensive staff training to ensure empathetic and responsive assistance, state-of-the-art aircraft modifications like wider aisles and accessible lavatories, and thorough mobility assistance from check-in to destination.

This will help us to create better and more inclusive experiences for our passengers.

Employee resource groups

We also facilitate the following employee resource groups. These groups support a diversity of communities within KLM and advocate equity and inclusion for every KLM employee:

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