Twenty months later, the United States will reopen its borders to most of Europe, including the Netherlands. Passengers who have been fully vaccinated and who have shown a negative test result can board the flight back to Skipole in New York, Los Angeles or Las Vegas starting today.

The reopening of the United States is good news especially for KLM and Delta Air Lines, which dominate the US market in Schiphol. Upon learning that the United States would again allow passenger flights from 33 countries, the two airline partners immediately increased the number of target and flight frequencies.

Anyone flying to the United States with KLM can transfer to Delta Air with the same ticket. In contrast, the Schiphol Delta is the most important transfer point for dozens of KLM locations. Delta’s biggest rivals, United Airlines and American Airlines, also offer flights from Schiphol, but to fewer destinations.

Applause

The closure of US borders in mid-March 2020 was the final blow to air traffic in the Netherlands. Air traffic from Schiphol was almost halted after March 12, after KLM canceled several flights to China due to Corona.

Thousands of passengers from the United States tried to book a flight home quickly that day. That same afternoon, part of Schiphol Airport, including ships and terminals, To close.

Party

The reopening of borders in the United States was not widely celebrated in Schiphol. In London, on the other hand, it does: At 9.30am Dutch time, two flights from British Airways and Virgin Atlantic depart simultaneously from Heathrow Airport to New York’s Kennedy Airport.

British Airways Flight BA1 flies on this occasion, paying homage to the former Concord flights between London and New York. British Airways then used Flight No. 1 for the now defunct commercial flight between London City and New York.