KLM Cityhopper
Regional airline subsidiary of KLM operating scheduled European feeder and short-haul services.
Last updated August 22, 2026
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Overview
KLM Cityhopper is the regional airline subsidiary of KLM and a wholly owned operating company within the Air France-KLM group. Based at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, with its head office in Schiphol-Oost in Haarlemmermeer, it operates scheduled short-haul and regional passenger services on behalf of KLM, linking the Netherlands with destinations across Europe. Its primary commercial role is to feed passengers into KLM’s intercontinental and European network at Amsterdam Schiphol while also providing point-to-point connectivity on thinner European routes that are not always suited to larger mainline aircraft. The present company was established in 1991 through the merger of NLM CityHopper and NetherLines. The merged carrier inherited a substantial fleet of Fokker aircraft and initially became one of Europe’s most significant operators of Fokker 50, Fokker 70 and Fokker 100 aircraft. KLM subsequently consolidated its regional activities under the KLM Cityhopper name in 2002. The business was also shaped by KLM’s acquisition of AirUK in 1998 and the later integration of KLM UK-related operations, although the British operating bases and associated crew arrangements were progressively reduced and ultimately closed. A major turning point came with the fleet-renewal programme announced in 2008. KLM Cityhopper began replacing older turboprops and Fokker jets with Embraer E-Jets, initially ordering Embraer 190 aircraft. Deliveries began in 2009, and the final Fokker 50 flight was operated in 2010. Additional Embraer 190 orders allowed the airline to retire its remaining Fokker 100s, while Embraer 175 aircraft were selected in 2015 to replace the Fokker 70 fleet. The last Fokker 70s were withdrawn in 2017, leaving the airline with a younger, more standardized regional-jet fleet. The first Embraer 195-E2 was delivered in February 2021, extending the fleet-renewal strategy with a newer-generation aircraft offering improved efficiency and capacity. KLM Cityhopper’s routes are integrated into KLM’s timetable, reservation system, brand and customer proposition. Aircraft and crews may serve destinations that are also operated by KLM mainline, with capacity shifting between Cityhopper’s Embraer fleet and KLM’s Boeing 737 fleet according to seasonal demand and timetable requirements. The airline has historically opened or expanded service to a range of regional and secondary European destinations, including routes such as Bilbao, Turin, Zagreb, Montpellier, Krakow, Belfast, Southampton, Inverness, Dresden and Genoa. The onboard product follows KLM’s European short-haul structure, generally offering Europe Business Class and Economy Class. Services include complimentary refreshments, with food and bar offerings varying by cabin, flight length and time of day. Economy Comfort seating and KLM’s Flying Blue loyalty arrangements are also available under the applicable KLM commercial framework. The company’s identity closely follows that of KLM, using the parent airline’s crown logo and visual system with Cityhopper branding. KLM Cityhopper has also operated aircraft of public significance. It was responsible for the Dutch government and royal family’s Fokker 70, PH-KBX, which was sometimes flown as a copilot by King Willem-Alexander before the aircraft was sold in 2017. In operational terms, however, the airline remains principally a regional feeder carrier: its value lies in connecting smaller European markets with KLM’s Amsterdam hub rather than in operating an independent long-haul network.
History
KLM Cityhopper’s roots lie in the regional aviation operations that KLM developed to connect the Netherlands with smaller European markets. The current airline was established on 1 April 1991 through the merger of NLM CityHopper and NetherLines, and it began operations during the same year. The new company inherited a varied fleet of Fokker-built aircraft. In the years following the merger, its Fokker 50 turboprops and Fokker 70 and 100 jets gave it one of Europe’s largest concentrations of Fokker equipment. KLM’s acquisition of AirUK in 1998 added another important element to the group’s regional structure. The acquired airline was subsequently rebranded KLM UK, and some British bases and crews later became connected with KLM Cityhopper operations. In November 2002, KLM merged its regional subsidiaries under the KLM Cityhopper name, making the brand the principal identity for KLM’s regional flying. The company reported 910 employees in March 2007. The airline began a decisive modernization programme in 2008, when it announced plans to acquire Embraer 190 aircraft and use them to replace older Fokker 50 and Fokker 100 aircraft. Deliveries started in 2009, and the final Fokker 50 flight took place in March 2010. Further Embraer 190 orders enabled the retirement of the remaining Fokker 100s. In 2013, the carrier refreshed parts of its passenger experience, including new slimline leather seats on the Fokker 70 fleet and a revised cabin layout intended to support Business Class, a premium seating zone and Economy Class. A further six Embraer 190 aircraft were leased from BOC Aviation under an agreement announced in 2013. In April 2014, delivery of the company’s 28th Embraer 190 was marked alongside the introduction of a revised livery. The design retained KLM’s corporate identity but adapted the aircraft graphics to modern regional-jet shapes. During this period KLM also expanded or adjusted European routes, with KLM Cityhopper serving a number of new or growing destinations such as Bilbao, Turin, Zagreb, Montpellier, Krakow and Belfast. In December 2015, KLM announced additional Cityhopper services to Southampton, Inverness, Dresden and Genoa, with flights planned for the following spring. In 2015, KLM Cityhopper chose the Embraer 175 as the successor to its Fokker 70 fleet. The first Embraer 175 arrived on 20 March 2016. The aircraft’s commonality with the Embraer 190 simplified crew training and allowed the new type to operate on routes previously associated with the Fokker 70 or alongside the larger E-Jets. The last Fokker 70 was scheduled to leave service in October 2017, completing the transition to an Embraer-centered regional fleet. Several retired Fokker 70 aircraft were subsequently sold to other operators. KLM Cityhopper’s British crew bases were progressively reduced. Cabin-crew bases in the United Kingdom were closed in 2017, while the remaining pilot-only bases were closed in May 2020. The carrier continued to operate as an integrated part of KLM’s European network, with routes and aircraft assignments changing according to seasonal demand. On 23 February 2021, it received its first Embraer 195-E2, introducing another generation of regional aircraft. The airline has also had a distinctive connection with the Dutch state. KLM Cityhopper operated the government-owned Fokker 70 registered PH-KBX, used by the Dutch government and royal family. King Willem-Alexander later disclosed that he had secretly served as a KLM Cityhopper copilot periodically for many years, including on the state aircraft. PH-KBX was sold in 2017 and replaced for government use by a Boeing 737-700 BBJ operated by KLM mainline. KLM Cityhopper has experienced serious operational incidents. On 4 April 1994, a Saab 340 operating Flight 433 crashed at Amsterdam Schiphol after a faulty warning indication contributed to an incorrect assessment of an engine problem and an unsuccessful go-around; three people died and nine were seriously injured. On 29 May 2024, an airport worker died after entering the engine of an Embraer 190 during pushback. The Dutch Safety Board determined that the act was intentional. Despite these incidents, the company’s continuing strategic role is that of KLM’s regional feeder and European short-haul operator, with Amsterdam Schiphol as its principal hub.
- 2021
First Embraer 195-E2 enters the fleet
[1]KLM Cityhopper received its first Embraer 195-E2, adding a newer-generation aircraft to its regional operation.
- 2017
Fokker 70 retirement
[1]The remaining Fokker 70 aircraft were withdrawn, completing the airline’s move to an Embraer regional-jet fleet.
- 2016
First Embraer 175 delivered
[1]The first Embraer 175 entered service as the replacement programme for the Fokker 70 gathered pace.
- 2014
Revised livery introduced
[1]The airline introduced a refreshed KLM-based livery designed around the shape of modern Embraer aircraft.
- 2010
Final Fokker 50 flight
[1]KLM Cityhopper ended Fokker 50 operations and continued its transition toward regional jets.
- 2009
Embraer 190 deliveries begin
[1]The first Embraer 190 aircraft arrived as part of the programme to replace older Fokker aircraft.
- 2002
Regional subsidiaries consolidated
[1]KLM brought its regional subsidiaries together under the KLM Cityhopper name.
- 1998
KLM acquires AirUK
[1]KLM’s acquisition of AirUK expanded the group’s regional structure; the business was later associated with the KLM UK brand.
- 1991
Creation of KLM Cityhopper
[1]NLM CityHopper and NetherLines merged to form the present KLM Cityhopper airline, which began operations during the same year.
Products and positioning
Regional feeder for KLM’s European and intercontinental network, combining hub connectivity with relatively small-capacity aircraft for thinner short-haul routes.
Regional jet · 2016
Embraer 175
The Embraer 175 replaced the Fokker 70 as KLM Cityhopper’s smaller regional jet. Its commonality with the Embraer 190 supports flexible crew deployment and permits the aircraft to serve both former Fokker routes and destinations requiring additional capacity beyond the smallest regional aircraft.
Regional jet · 2009
Embraer 190
The Embraer 190 became the core of KLM Cityhopper’s fleet modernization. It replaced older Fokker types, supports scheduled European feeder routes and provides more capacity than the E175 while retaining the operating economics and cabin configuration associated with regional flying.
Next-generation regional jet · 2021
Embraer 195-E2
The Embraer 195-E2 represents the next-generation phase of KLM Cityhopper’s fleet renewal. It offers a larger regional-jet platform intended for European routes where additional seating and improved operating efficiency are useful within KLM’s hub-and-spoke network.
Passenger service
KLM European short-haul cabin
KLM Cityhopper offers the parent carrier’s European cabin structure, generally divided into Europe Business Class and Economy Class. Complimentary refreshments are provided, while food, bar service, seating arrangements and baggage conditions vary by cabin, fare, route and passenger loyalty status.
Controversies
2024
Fatal engine-ingestion incident at Amsterdam Schiphol
An airport worker died after entering the running engine of an Embraer 190 during pushback for KLM Cityhopper Flight 1341. The Dutch Safety Board concluded that the worker intentionally entered the engine.
1994
KLM Cityhopper Flight 433 crash
A Saab 340 crashed at Amsterdam Schiphol during an attempted go-around after an engine warning was misinterpreted and power was not applied symmetrically. Three people died and nine were seriously injured.
Marketing campaigns
- 2014KLM Cityhopper revised livery
Europe
KLM Cityhopper introduced an updated visual identity based on KLM’s corporate design, with aircraft graphics adjusted to suit the nose profile of Embraer regional jets.
Outcome. The design was intended to be applied across Cityhopper aircraft and aligned the regional subsidiary more closely with the parent brand.
Brand decisions
2021
Embraer 195-E2 introducedProduct launchBackground
The carrier continued replacing older regional aircraft with newer and more efficient Embraer types.
Action taken
KLM Cityhopper received its first Embraer 195-E2 on 23 February 2021.
Aftermath
The aircraft added a larger next-generation regional-jet option to the KLM European network.
2015
Embraer 175 selected for Fokker 70 replacementGeneration changeBackground
The Fokker 70 fleet required replacement as KLM Cityhopper continued modernizing and standardizing its regional aircraft.
Action taken
KLM Cityhopper selected Embraer 175 aircraft and accelerated the retirement schedule for its Fokker 70s.
Aftermath
The first E175 was delivered in March 2016 and the last Fokker 70 aircraft left service in 2017.
2012
Proposed separation of KLM European operationsStrategyBackground
KLM reportedly presented unions with a plan to separate European operations from the intercontinental business and operate the short- and medium-haul unit with a lower cost base.
Action taken
The proposal would have grouped KLM’s Boeing 737 operation and the entire KLM Cityhopper fleet within a separate European entity.
Aftermath
The plan was opposed by unions and the then chief executive and was subsequently shelved. KLM instead pursued operational streamlining, cost reduction and productivity measures.
2008
Fleet renewal with Embraer 190 aircraftStrategyBackground
KLM Cityhopper’s Fokker 50 and older Fokker 100 aircraft were becoming comparatively old and inefficient for the carrier’s European regional network.
Action taken
The airline announced an order for up to 17 Embraer 190 aircraft and began a multi-year transition toward Embraer regional jets.
Aftermath
Deliveries began in 2009, the final Fokker 50 flight took place in 2010, and the remaining Fokker 100 aircraft were later retired.
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