Klm Marks 106th Anniversary By Unveiling Villa Rameau As Its New Delft Blue House In Leiden, Celebrating The Airline’s Historic Ties With The United States

Published on October 8, 2025

KLM Royal Dutch Airlines has marked its 106th day by unveiling a typical Delft Blue house successful Leiden, commemorating nan airline’s long-standing relationship pinch nan United States. The caller miniature house, named Villa Rameau, is located adjacent to nan historical Pieterskerk successful Leiden, a metropolis known for its rich | humanities ties to nan Pilgrims who journeyed to America aboard nan Mayflower successful 1620. This symbolic location is portion of KLM’s broader bequest of fostering transatlantic ties and strengthening connections betwixt Europe and nan US.

For complete a century, KLM has played an basal domiciled successful linking nan Netherlands pinch nan United States, creating a web that includes galore flights to cardinal destinations crossed nan US. As nan world’s oldest hose still operating nether its original name, KLM has continued its contented of innovation, while honoring nan value of connection, resilience, and unity crossed nan ocean. The unveiling of nan caller Delft Blue house, Villa Rameau, further underscores nan airline’s committedness to preserving and celebrating some humanities and modern connections.

KLM’s Legacy of Connecting nan Netherlands pinch nan United States

Since its inception, KLM has nurtured a heavy relationship betwixt nan Netherlands and nan United States. The airline’s roots successful Leiden and its humanities ties pinch nan Pilgrims’ travel to America person travel afloat circle, pinch KLM now serving millions of passengers each twelvemonth successful a business pinch Delta Air Lines and arsenic portion of nan Air France-KLM Group. The collaboration has created a robust web linking nan 2 continents, supporting trade, tourism, and world connectivity. This marks a unsocial section successful KLM’s enduring legacy, arsenic nan hose continues to service arsenic a span betwixt 2 continents, overmuch for illustration nan Pilgrims’ voyage did hundreds of years ago.

Villa Rameau: A Symbol of Historical Significance

The recently unveiled Delft Blue house, Villa Rameau, holds awesome value not only for KLM but for nan metropolis of Leiden itself. Villa Rameau was erstwhile nan erstwhile sexton’s residence and was location to nan Pilgrims for 12 years earlier they group sail for America. Now serving arsenic nan Leiden American Pilgrim Museum, nan location has go an emblem of Leiden’s rich | history. This humanities location played a cardinal domiciled successful nan Pilgrims’ journey and was besides nan tract of nan first Thanksgiving festival, a contented that has since go a awesome of American heritage.

Throughout World War II, nan Rameau family played a pivotal domiciled successful nan Dutch resistance, further embedding nan location pinch nan values of perseverance and resilience. These qualities of strength and endurance are values that KLM has proudly embraced successful its ain journey, from its early days of connecting Europe and nan US to its domiciled arsenic a leader successful nan modern aviation industry. Today, Villa Rameau serves arsenic a reminder of really KLM continues to push nan boundaries of aviation and global connection while besides paying homage to its humanities roots.

The Importance of Delft Blue Houses successful KLM’s Legacy

KLM has been gifting miniature Delft Blue houses to its World Business Class passengers for decades, a contented that began successful nan 1950s. Each Delft Blue house represents an iconic building from nan Netherlands and is filled pinch Bols Dutch Gin. Over nan years, these collectible houses person go beloved symbols of KLM’s history and its committedness to connecting nan world. Since 1994, nan number of Delft Blue houses matches KLM’s age, pinch a caller location being added to nan postulation each twelvemonth connected KLM’s anniversary, October 7.

With nan unveiling of Villa Rameau arsenic nan 106th summation to nan collection, KLM is not only celebrating its rich | history but besides highlighting its ongoing efforts to link people, cultures, and economies. The Delft Blue houses service arsenic tangible mementos of nan heavy connections KLM has nurtured crossed nan globe, and Villa Rameau’s inclusion successful nan postulation honors nan enduring narration betwixt nan Netherlands and nan United States.

KLM’s Connection to nan Pilgrims and nan United States

The unveiling of Villa Rameau is particularly important fixed nan heavy humanities ties betwixt nan Pilgrims and nan United States. The Pilgrims, who spent 12 years successful Leiden earlier embarking connected their travel to America, are straight linked to nan commencement of 1 of America’s astir cherished holidays, Thanksgiving. The first harvest show celebrated by nan Pilgrims successful Leiden, inspired by nan Relief of Leiden, later evolved into what Americans admit arsenic Thanksgiving today.

KLM’s caller Delft Blue location ties these 2 singular histories together—the communicative of nan Pilgrims’ travel to America and nan modern-day domiciled of KLM successful connecting Europe pinch nan United States. It is simply a symbolic reminder of really far-reaching these transatlantic connections person become, some successful position of history and modern aviation.

KLM’s Vision for nan Future

Looking ahead, KLM remains dedicated to its domiciled arsenic a global connector, linking group and cultures done nan skies. The unveiling of Villa Rameau and nan ceremony of 106 years of transatlantic flights bespeak nan airline’s vision for nan future, wherever world connections will proceed to turn stronger contempt immoderate challenges. KLM’s continued invention successful nan aviation assemblage ensures that it will stay a captious portion of nan international recreation landscape, contributing to world prosperity and economic growth.

Marjan Rintel, KLM’s President & CEO, expressed that nan unveiling of Villa Rameau arsenic nan 106th Delft Blue location is not only a milestone successful nan airline’s history but besides an opportunity to bespeak connected nan value of resilience and connection. “These values are reflected successful nan communicative of nan location and nan Pilgrims, and they are besides astatine nan bosom of KLM,” she said. “For 106 years, we’ve been building world connections. Especially successful challenging times, this location reminds america really captious it is to enactment connected.”

A Tradition of Excellence and Innovation

As nan world’s oldest hose still operating nether its original name, KLM has embraced invention while staying existent to its roots. Over nan years, nan hose has continuously evolved its services, ensuring that it remains a leader successful nan world aviation industry. With a web of 15 US destinations, KLM continues to foster nan beardown transatlantic bond betwixt Europe and nan United States, offering passengers a precocious modular of work and exceptional recreation experiences.

The Delft Blue houses, now an iconic portion of nan KLM legacy, will proceed to beryllium a beloved contented for years to come. Every year, nan caller summation to nan postulation celebrates a unsocial facet of nan Netherlands’ history aliases its ties pinch nan world, further solidifying KLM’s position arsenic a world leader successful aviation.

Conclusion: A Lasting Connection Across nan Atlantic

KLM’s 106th day marks not conscionable nan airline’s awesome history but besides its ongoing committedness to global connectivity and transatlantic relationships. The unveiling of Villa Rameau arsenic KLM’s 106th Delft Blue location successful Leiden symbolizes a deeper relationship that goes beyond aviation. It tells nan communicative of nan Pilgrims, nan enduring enslaved betwixt nan Netherlands and nan United States, and nan continued domiciled KLM plays successful linking group and cultures crossed nan globe. As nan hose looks to nan future, its rich | bequest of connection and resilience will proceed to style nan improvement of aerial travel.

For much accusation astir KLM’s Delft Blue houses and nan airline’s rich | history, sojourn KLM’s website.