Albert Plesman, Dutch businessman, founded KLM (born 1889)

Albert Plesman was a Dutch pioneer in aviation and the first administrator and later director of the KLM, the oldest airline in the world still operating under its original name. Until his death, he was its CEO for over 35 years and was also on the board of the Dutch airline, which was to become one of the most important airlines in the world under his leadership.

KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, or simply KLM, is the flag carrier of the Netherlands. KLM’s headquarters are located in Amstelveen, with its hub at nearby Amsterdam Airport Schiphol. It is a subsidiary of the Air France–KLM group and a member of the SkyTeam airline alliance. Founded in 1919, KLM is the oldest operating airline still using its original name, having gone through significant changes in its ownership and legal structure over its history, including a period of majority government ownership. The company had a fleet of 110 aircraft and 35,488 employees as of 2021. KLM operates scheduled passenger and cargo services to 145 destinations.