KLM takes flight from San Diego with new non-stop service to Amsterdam

The first nonstop flight to Amsterdam by KLM Royal Dutch Airlines took off from San Diego Thursday, giving a big boost to travel options from the region and across Europe.

KLM will run three flights a week, on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays, out of San Diego International Airport.

Officials celebrated the new year-round route with a ribbon-cutting ceremony before Thursday’s flight to Schiphol International Airport in Amsterdam.

Book your nonstop flight to Amsterdam, https://t.co/Rib0ilUO21 pic.twitter.com/OrXZj3qLfj— San Diego Airport (@SanDiegoAirport) May 8, 2025

San Diego has direct flights to London and Munich, but airport and airline officials say the new route gives travelers expanded “options for easy connections to other European cities from San Diego,”

The city now links to more than 160 other European destinations through KLM. The service also represents the 10th international destination offered out of San Diego.

Mayor Todd Gloria touted the new flight as “a major win for our regional economy” and said the groundwork for the new route was laid during a 2022 trade mission in which Gloria and other San Diego business and civic leaders visited the Netherlands.

Bas Brouns, chief financial officer and managing director at KLM, added that the San Diego route “meets our customers’ travel needs and supports our growth plans in North America.”

KLM and the airport announced the new service in November.