1921>

The importance of advertising...

Plesman stressed the importance of advertising emphasing the fact that the company should not only seek publicity for KLM, but for air transport in general.

In 1921, the first international poster was printed.
It was designed by the artist Ernest B.H. Lander and depicted the KLM flagship, a Fokker F-II, flying over a typical Dutch landscpae. The plane's interior was depicted in a brochure, which also made mention of a new phenomenon: aerial photography!

Ticket to Paris

KLM flyer for the route Amsterdam-Paris

Vliegticket van de KLM voor de luchtroute Amsterdam-Parijs.

Op 2 mei 1921 werd een dagelijkse dienst Amsterdam-Rotterdam-Brussel-Parijs geopend.
In 1924 vloog de KLM driemaal daags naar Parijs met een Rotterdamse tussenstop.

De vlucht duurde 3,5 uur en kostte ƒ 39,50. De terugreis was iets duurder, namelijk ƒ 48,00

front af the hangar, 1921Fokker F3

Fokker factory in Amsterdam, 1921. On the right the F.III is assembled, left the production of the C.II

Schiphol reopened after winterclosing. 1921Fokker F.III (Anthony Fokker is inside)

Anthony Fokker in the cockpit of a F.3. This photo shows clearly the position of the pilot next to the enginePoster advertising and promoting flighttours over Maastricht in Limburg in the south of the Netherlands

First booking office in Amsterdam

The re-opening of the service to London and Hamburg, on 14 april 1921, was attended by Prince Hendrik of the Netherlands.

By then the company had its own aircraft, Fokker F-IIs and F-IIIs, and its own pilots.

The KLM bought 8 F-IIIs and that was a well considered choice, because at that time de F-III was a beautiful constructed airliner.

The Fokker F-III was faster than the F-II.

It was an improvement of the F-II, with a 240 HP Siddeley Puma watercooled six cylinder engine.
The Fokker F-III seated five passengers and had a separate cargo hold. The pilot was seated in an open cockpit near the engine.

 

Fokker F3 EngineFokker F3 tanking

He communicated with the passengers by means of written messages, which were passed back and forth via a hatch.

Preparing for new services

Beside these F-IIIs KLM also bought two DH IXs (De Havilland). In the summer of 1921, the KLM had a fleet of sixtien aircrafts.

Plesman had not wasted time during the winter months: he had prepared the opening of a service to Brussels and Paris.

Schiphol was the homebase, but was far from a ideal airport: it was a piece of swampy grass with some primitive hangars. But changes were made very fast. The first progress was made by opening the hotel and restaurant "KLM Cafe Restaurant Schiphol".

 

In 1921 The first KLM booking office 'Leidseplein was opened in summer

The first booking
office 'Leidseplein' was opened in the center of Amsterdam in the summer of 1921.

The coöperation with the city of Amsterdam was excellent.

Here worked the administation, here where the bookingoffices, here grew a new modern businessactivity.