Dutch airline KLM is reinstating a fifth daily flight between Aberdeen and Amsterdam amid signs of recovering demand from energy industry travelers.
The firm cut the number of flights to four-a-day last year as the oil and gas downturn hit passenger numbers.
Air France KLM’s UK and Ireland general manager, Warner Rootliep, said that with increasing optimism in one of its most profitable UK routes, the fifth flight would start again on an eight-week trial basis from mid-May.
However, the airline has no current plans to reinstate a third daily service between Aberdeen and Paris. Flights on both routes were reduced when KLM introduced its winter timetable in November.
The reinstated Aberdeen-Amsterdam Schipol service will start on the same day the firm launches a second daily service between Inverness and the Dutch airport.
Mr Rootliep said KLM hoped increased interest in the Aberdeen route from travel agents handling bookings from oil and gas companies was a sign of the industry downturn starting to bottom out.
He said: “Aberdeen is very much one of our most profitable routes, but due to the oil and gas downturn it has taken a bit of a hit.
“Hopefully that is bottoming out and there is more optimism in the market in Aberdeen.”
A decision on whether the flight, which will operate on weekdays, would continue after the May 15 to July 7 trial period will depend on the numbers of passengers using it, he said.
Mr Rootliep added that KLM would “continue to look at opportunities in Aberdeen.”
KLM’s second daily Inverness flight, which will run until October 28, was announced last month. It follows the successful introduction of the route last May.
Mr Rootliep said the airline was “very pleased” with demand for the service, despite initial concerns when BA launched a new connection between the Highland capital and Heathrow at around the same time.
“The first summer has been excellent,” he said.
“It is being expanded for the whole summer based on the performance last year.”
He said analysis of bookings showed around 70% of passengers used the route for leisure purposes, with the other 30% travelling for business. Just over half booked for “point-to-point” journeys, with 45% using the service for onward connections to other destinations. Between 35-40% of ticket bookings on the route were made in the UK.
Earlier this year airport operator Highlands and Islands Airports Ltd (HIAL) said the KLM flights had been among the contributing factors to a 17.4% increase in the number of passengers using the Inverness terminal in 2016.
Larger, 100-seat aircraft will be used on the new Inverness-Amsterdam flights.
