K.L.M.

Properties2
tagsorganization, aviation, dutch, colonial, luchtvaart
aliasesKLM, Koninklijke Luchtvaart Maatschappij, Royal Dutch Airlines

5 min read

The K.L.M. (Koninklijke Luchtvaart Maatschappij — Royal Dutch Airlines), founded in 1919, is the national airline of the Netherlands and the oldest operating airline in the world still operating under its original name. The K.L.M. was the principal beneficiary of Generaal Snijders’ post-war aviation advocacy: Snijders negotiated on its behalf with the Indies government in 1920 (his first Indies journey), presided over the Comité “Vliegtocht Nederland–Indië” that prepared the first Amsterdam–Batavia flight of 1924, and was a tireless propagandist in the press for the regular Amsterdam–Batavia service, which was finally inaugurated as a fortnightly service in 1930 and grew to a thrice-weekly service by 1937.

In 1920 the Raad van Bestuur of the K.L.M. asked Snijders — then in his capacity as chairman of the Vereeniging “Ons Leger” preparing for his first Indies journey — to take up on behalf of the Maatschappij the question of an Indies sub-section of the K.L.M. with the Indies authorities and with prominent persons in trade, industry, and communications. Although Snijders stood in no official relation to the Maatschappij, he agreed. On 8 June 8 June 1920 he submitted, on behalf of the K.L.M., a request to the Indies government for priority of concession and for the appointment of an organ with which the relevant negotiations could be conducted; on 3 August 3 August 1920 a draft agreement prepared by him was the subject of a meeting of the commission appointed for the purpose. The negotiations were favourable, and led to a draft besluit granting the K.L.M. permission to operate civil air traffic in Nederlandsch-Indië.

The high expectations were not immediately fulfilled. The Minister of Colonies De Graaff, to whom the Governor-General forwarded Snijders’ draft concession, doubted the viability and feasibility of the plans and judged it irresponsible, in the form of subsidies, to commit funds from the treasury. The plans had to be set aside; six years passed before the question was settled with the founding of the K.N.I.L.M. in 1928.

The Amsterdam–Batavia Service

Snijders continued, through the 1920s, to advocate the air link in word and writing. He presided over the Comité “Vliegtocht Nederland–Indië” that prepared the first Amsterdam–Batavia flight of 1924 (Van der Hop, Van Weerden Poelman, and Van den Broecke) and Koppen’s post-flight of 1 October 1 October 1927 with the Postduif. The fortnightly Amsterdam–Batavia service was finally inaugurated in 1930 and grew to a thrice-weekly service by 1937; Snijders’ advocacy was a central factor in bringing it about.

See Also

Source

D. van den Berg, Cornelis Jacobus Snijders (1852–1939): Een leven in dienst van zijn Land en zijn Volk (Voorburg: September 1944), pp. 131–138. Koninklijke Bibliotheek shelfmark 0301 4872.

The K.L.M. (Koninklijke Luchtvaart Maatschappij — Royal Dutch Airlines), founded in 1919, is the national airline of the Netherlands and the oldest operating airline in the world still operating under its original name. The K.L.M. was the principal beneficiary of Generaal Snijders’ post-war aviation advocacy: Snijders negotiated on its behalf with the Indies government in 1920 (his first Indies journey), presided over the Comité “Vliegtocht Nederland–Indië” that prepared the first Amsterdam–Batavia flight of 1924, and was a tireless propagandist in the press for the regular Amsterdam–Batavia service, which was finally inaugurated as a fortnightly service in 1930 and grew to a thrice-weekly service by 1937.

In 1920 the Raad van Bestuur of the K.L.M. asked Snijders — then in his capacity as chairman of the Vereeniging “Ons Leger” preparing for his first Indies journey — to take up on behalf of the Maatschappij the question of an Indies sub-section of the K.L.M. with the Indies authorities and with prominent persons in trade, industry, and communications. Although Snijders stood in no official relation to the Maatschappij, he agreed. On 8 June 8 June 1920 he submitted, on behalf of the K.L.M., a request to the Indies government for priority of concession and for the appointment of an organ with which the relevant negotiations could be conducted; on 3 August 3 August 1920 a draft agreement prepared by him was the subject of a meeting of the commission appointed for the purpose. The negotiations were favourable, and led to a draft besluit granting the K.L.M. permission to operate civil air traffic in Nederlandsch-Indië.

The high expectations were not immediately fulfilled. The Minister of Colonies De Graaff, to whom the Governor-General forwarded Snijders’ draft concession, doubted the viability and feasibility of the plans and judged it irresponsible, in the form of subsidies, to commit funds from the treasury. The plans had to be set aside; six years passed before the question was settled with the founding of the K.N.I.L.M. in 1928.

The Amsterdam–Batavia Service

Snijders continued, through the 1920s, to advocate the air link in word and writing. He presided over the Comité “Vliegtocht Nederland–Indië” that prepared the first Amsterdam–Batavia flight of 1924 (Van der Hop, Van Weerden Poelman, and Van den Broecke) and Koppen’s post-flight of 1 October 1 October 1927 with the Postduif. The fortnightly Amsterdam–Batavia service was finally inaugurated in 1930 and grew to a thrice-weekly service by 1937; Snijders’ advocacy was a central factor in bringing it about.

See Also

Source

D. van den Berg, Cornelis Jacobus Snijders (1852–1939): Een leven in dienst van zijn Land en zijn Volk (Voorburg: September 1944), pp. 131–138. Koninklijke Bibliotheek shelfmark 0301 4872.

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