KLM Royal Dutch Airlines celebrates its 96th anniversary this month and is marking the milestone with a special gift for passengers traveling in World Business Class on intercontinental routes.
The airline has introduced a new addition to its much‑celebrated collection of Delftware miniatures, presented as exclusive keepsakes for premium guests. These miniature Delft houses, each filled with Dutch gin, have been a KLM tradition since the 1950s. Since 1994 the number of houses in the collection has matched the airline’s age, with a new house unveiled each October.
For its 96th house, KLM selected the historic Hamel House from Gorinchem. The choice honors Hendrick Hamel, a 17th‑century Dutch seafarer, and celebrates KLM’s enduring ties with South Korea.
The Hamel House is a reconstructed birthplace exhibition that visually recounts Hamel’s shipwreck off the Korean island of Jeju and the years that followed. After the wreck, Hamel and his fellow survivors were held in Korea for 13 years, unable to leave as the ruling monarch sought to limit foreign knowledge about the country.
When Hamel finally escaped and published his journal, his detailed account became Europe’s primary source of information about Korea. His writings introduced Korea to European readers and, over time, earned him recognition and respect in Korea as well. KLM notes that Koreans continue to take pride in Hamel’s historical significance.
“For me, the Hamel House symbolizes the special relationship shared between the Netherlands and South Korea,” said Pieter Elbers, president and CEO of KLM Royal Dutch Airlines. “During my time working for KLM in Japan and South Korea I established close ties with this remarkable country, so I am pleased with our choice for house number 96.”
KLM has maintained service to South Korea since 1994 and currently operates daily flights between Amsterdam (AMS) and Seoul (ICN).