KLM Royal Dutch Airlines has marked its 106th anniversary by unveiling a brand new Delft Blue house — the previous sexton’s residence, Villa Rameau, positioned beside the Pieterskerk in Leiden. The Pilgrims lived right here for twelve years earlier than departing for America aboard the Mayflower in 1620, starting a transatlantic connection that endures right this moment.
The brand new Delft Blue miniature, a part of KLM’s long-standing custom of gifting collectible ceramic homes to passengers in Enterprise Class, pays tribute to each Dutch heritage and the airline’s historic ties with the US.
“Because the world’s oldest airline nonetheless working below its unique identify, KLM has all the time stood for connection and resilience,” stated Marjan Rintel, President & CEO, KLM. “With the revealing of Villa Rameau as our 106th Delft Blue home, we’re not solely celebrating our birthday, but additionally the significance of connection and resilience. These values are mirrored within the story of the home and the Pilgrims, and so they’re additionally on the coronary heart of KLM. Particularly in difficult occasions, this home reminds us how important it’s to remain linked. It’s a small image with a giant story about how we maintain innovating and shaping the way forward for aviation.”
As a part of the Air France–KLM Group and its Joint Enterprise with Delta Air Lines, KLM continues to hyperlink Europe and the US via fifteen locations, carrying hundreds of thousands of passengers yearly and supporting commerce, tourism, and financial development throughout each areas.
Villa Rameau, now a part of the Leiden American Pilgrim Museum, has a wealthy historical past. The Pilgrims’ first harvest competition in Leiden, impressed by town’s Aid celebrations, would later evolve into Thanksgiving — an everlasting American custom. Throughout World Battle II, the Rameau household who lived there additionally performed a task within the native resistance motion.
Peter Heijkoop, Mayor of Leiden, stated, “It’s an honour that Villa Rameau, with its distinctive historical past and central place in Leiden, is now a part of the KLM miniature home assortment. This home tells an necessary a part of Leiden’s story, from the Pilgrims to the resistance. We’re proud to see this story shared with the world on this particular method.”
With Villa Rameau added to its Delft Blue legacy, KLM continues to mix aviation historical past with Dutch artistry, celebrating the enduring ties between the Netherlands and the US.
