KLM Interinsulair Bedrijf
A short-lived KLM subsidiary that operated inter-island and regional air services in the Dutch East Indies before becoming the foundation of Garuda Indonesia.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
KLM Interinsulair Bedrijf, commonly abbreviated KLM-IIB, was an airline established by KLM in the Dutch East Indies in the aftermath of the dissolution of Koninklijke Nederlandsch-Indische Luchtvaart Maatschappij (KNILM). It was founded on 1 August 1947 at Kemayoran Airport in Batavia, the colonial capital now known as Jakarta. The company was created to continue air services within the Indonesian archipelago and to absorb operational assets that had previously belonged to KNILM. The airline’s central role was domestic and inter-island transportation. Its network connected locations across Java and other parts of the archipelago, where geography and the large number of islands made air travel strategically important. KLM-IIB also operated selected international or cross-border regional services, including routes to Singapore, Penang in British Malaya, and Manila in the Philippines. These services placed the airline within the wider postwar aviation network of Southeast Asia rather than limiting it to colonial domestic traffic. KLM-IIB inherited the KNILM fleet after KNILM was dissolved. It also received 20 Dakota aircraft that had previously been operated by the Koninklijk Nederlands Indisch Leger, the Royal Netherlands East Indies Army. The airline’s recorded fleet included 20 Douglas DC-3/Dakota aircraft and nine Consolidated PBY Catalina amphibious aircraft. The combination of land-based Dakotas and amphibious Catalinas was suited to an archipelago in which airports and other aviation infrastructure were unevenly distributed. The company existed during a period of profound political change. The Indonesian National Revolution and the transfer of sovereignty from the Netherlands to Indonesia shaped the future of aviation assets in the territory. At the Dutch-Indonesian Round Table Conference in 1949, the two governments agreed on arrangements that included the transfer of KLM-IIB to the Indonesian state. On 28 December 1949, the airline was nationalized and renamed Garuda Indonesia. Garuda subsequently became Indonesia’s national flag carrier, making KLM-IIB its immediate institutional predecessor. KLM Interinsulair Bedrijf therefore had a brief corporate life, but its importance was greater than its operating period suggests. It linked the colonial-era airline system represented by KNILM and KLM with the state-owned Indonesian airline that emerged after independence and sovereignty transfer. Its fleet, routes, and operating organization provided a practical base for the new national carrier. The brand itself is defunct and no longer operates, but it remains significant in the history of Indonesian civil aviation and in the institutional origins of Garuda Indonesia.
History
KLM Interinsulair Bedrijf was formed on 1 August 1947 at Kemayoran Airport in Batavia as a KLM subsidiary. Its creation followed the dissolution of Koninklijke Nederlandsch-Indische Luchtvaart Maatschappij, or KNILM, which had previously operated much of the civilian air network in the Dutch East Indies. KLM-IIB received the former KNILM aircraft and assumed the task of maintaining air links across an archipelago where sea transport remained important but could be slow and geographically constrained. The airline was based in Java and operated domestic routes throughout the Indonesian islands. Its network also extended beyond the territory through services to Singapore, Penang in British Malaya, and Manila in the Philippines. The combination of domestic and regional routes reflected the commercial and strategic importance of Southeast Asian aviation in the postwar period. KLM-IIB operated a mixed fleet. Its recorded equipment included 20 Douglas DC-3 Dakota aircraft and nine Consolidated PBY Catalina amphibious aircraft. The Dakotas provided conventional passenger and freight capability from established airfields, while the Catalinas could serve locations where airport facilities were unavailable or inadequate. The airline also received 20 Dakotas previously operated by the Royal Netherlands East Indies Army. Operations took place amid the Indonesian struggle for independence and the eventual transfer of sovereignty. The political settlement reached through the 1949 Dutch-Indonesian Round Table Conference included the transfer of KLM-IIB to the Indonesian government. On 28 December 1949, the airline was nationalized and renamed Garuda Indonesia. Garuda developed into Indonesia’s flag carrier, making KLM-IIB the direct predecessor of the national airline. The company consequently operated for only a short period under its own name. Its historical importance lies in the continuity it provided between the prewar and colonial aviation institutions, KLM’s postwar regional operations, and the Indonesian state-owned airline that followed. KLM-IIB’s aircraft, routes, and operating organization formed part of the foundation on which Garuda Indonesia was established.
- 1949
Nationalization and transition to Garuda Indonesia
[1]The Indonesian government nationalized KLM-IIB on 28 December and renamed it Garuda Indonesia, which became the country’s flag carrier.
- 1948
Flight 947 accident
[1]A KLM-IIB Douglas C-47B crashed near Padalarang after an engine failure during an attempted return to Bandung, killing all 19 occupants.
- 1948
Catalina accident at Poso
[1]A Consolidated PBY Catalina was destroyed during takeoff at Poso, Sulawesi. No passengers or crew were injured.
- 1947
KLM-IIB is founded
[1]KLM established KLM Interinsulair Bedrijf on 1 August at Kemayoran Airport in Batavia after KNILM was dissolved.
- 1947
KNILM aircraft are transferred
[1]Aircraft formerly belonging to KNILM were transferred to the new KLM subsidiary as it took over inter-island aviation functions.
Products and positioning
A KLM-backed regional airline focused on connecting the islands of the Dutch East Indies and selected Southeast Asian destinations during the transition from colonial aviation to Indonesia’s national airline system.
Passenger aircraft
Douglas DC-3 Dakota
The Dakota formed the main land-based component of KLM-IIB’s fleet. The airline operated 20 Dakota aircraft, including aircraft transferred from the Royal Netherlands East Indies Army. They supported scheduled passenger services and helped connect established airports across Java and the wider Indonesian archipelago.
Amphibious aircraft
Consolidated PBY Catalina
KLM-IIB operated nine Consolidated PBY Catalina amphibious aircraft. Their ability to operate from water was particularly relevant in an island region where conventional airport infrastructure was uneven. The type was used as part of the airline’s inter-island operating capability.
Brand decisions
1949
Transfer KLM-IIB to the Indonesian governmentM&ABackground
The future of Dutch aviation assets in Indonesia was addressed through the Dutch-Indonesian Round Table Conference and the transfer of sovereignty.
Action taken
The Indonesian government nationalized KLM-IIB on 28 December 1949 and renamed the airline Garuda Indonesia.
Aftermath
KLM-IIB ceased to exist as a separate brand, while its successor developed into Indonesia’s national flag carrier.
1947
Create a KLM subsidiary after KNILM’s dissolutionStrategyBackground
The dissolution of KNILM left an established aviation network and aircraft assets in the Dutch East Indies. KLM needed an operating structure for continuing inter-island services.
Action taken
KLM established KLM Interinsulair Bedrijf at Kemayoran Airport and transferred former KNILM aircraft into the new operation.
Aftermath
The new airline continued domestic and selected regional services and became the institutional predecessor of Garuda Indonesia.
Recent events
- 1949
KLM Interinsulair Bedrijf is nationalized and renamed Garuda Indonesia[1]
M&A
On 28 December 1949, following the Dutch-Indonesian Round Table Conference arrangements, the Indonesian government nationalized KLM-IIB and renamed it Garuda Indonesia.
- 1948
KLM-IIB Flight 947 crashes near Padalarang[1]
Other
On 10 February 1948, Douglas C-47B PK-REA lost control while attempting to return to Bandung after an engine failure and crashed near Padalarang. All 19 people on board were killed.
- 1948
KLM-IIB Catalina is lost during takeoff at Poso[1]
Other
On 8 March 1948, Consolidated PBY Catalina PK-CTC was damaged beyond repair and sank during takeoff at Poso, Sulawesi, following a misunderstanding over the starting procedure. The nine crew members and passengers survived without injury.
- 1947
KLM establishes KLM Interinsulair Bedrijf in Batavia[1]
Other
KLM created KLM-IIB on 1 August 1947 at Kemayoran Airport after the dissolution of KNILM, establishing a subsidiary to continue air services in the Dutch East Indies.
Sources1 sources
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