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Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen has today (26 October) welcomed news that KLM Royal Dutch Airlines is set to introduce earlier flights from Teesside to Schiphol, making the service even better for businesses, holidaymakers and onward travel.

The airline, which has flown out of Teesside for more than 23 years, resumed the route in June following the relaxation of rules that had prevented international travel in response to the coronavirus pandemic, with a four-times weekly flight (Monday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday) at 17:20.

With the further easing of restrictions, KLM, which typically serves more than 100 destinations around the globe, has now committed to bringing the flight time from Teesside to Schiphol forward to 12:25 four times a week. From January, it will go even further, offering twice-daily flights departing Teesside at 06:05 and 10:40.

This means people across the region will soon be able to fly from their local airport to Amsterdam Schiphol even earlier to enjoy a city break, or to connect with flights to further onward destinations. From next year, with the introduction of morning flights, this will include services to the USA, Canada, Middle East, Far East, India and Europe, including key destinations such as New York, Bangkok and Delhi.

Before the pandemic hit, KLM signed a new long-term deal to continue operating at the airport after it saw its best month in 14 years for the Teesside to Amsterdam route in September 2019.

Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen said:

“This route is already a firm favourite for people across Teesside, Darlington and Hartlepool travelling to Amsterdam, whether to visit the city or take advantage of its invaluable connectivity across the world.

“This initial time change will only make the route more attractive as the world opens up once again, making it more convenient for holidaymakers and showing how Teesside Airport is backing businesses. The next move, in January, will be even better for passenger, giving them even more options to fly globally from their local airport.

“KLM has been a firm supporter of our airport for years now and we’re continuing to work with it to secure even more services. But we can only do that if passengers are as enthusiastic about these flights as they were before the pandemic hit, so let’s all get on board this much improved flying time.”