CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY REPORT 2009-10

48
KLM initiatives
In line with the United Nations Millennium Development Goals,
the KLM AirCares program supported seven projects past
year, via a combination of a starting donation, publicity and
the option of using miles donated by frequent flyers to buy
tickets and save on travel expenses. A total of 40 million miles
have been donated to the various projects (equivalent to over
500 return tickets from Amsterdam to Nairobi), while almost
€100,000 has been raised by various staff initiatives and on
board donations to support these projects.
The Ubuntu Company project in Durban, South Africa, involves
the design and production of trendy flip-flops from recycled
car tires, which also helps reduce waste in the area. Ubuntu
supported the local economy by hiring 70 HIV/AIDS infected
women, also providing them and their children medication,
sanitation, education and nutrition. KLM Cargo took care of
logistics and transport from the factory to the various fashion
and shoe outlets in The Netherlands. The flip-flops were also
for sale in the KLM staff shop, as part of KLM’s Sustainable
Label concept for commercial development.
A group of 70 seriously ill children of Stichting Hoogvliegers
(High Flyers Foundation) was invited on board of the 777 flight
celebrating KLMs 90th Anniversary. Also, 90 senior citizens
were invited for their first time flight ever flying over Holland.
transavia.com supported the Peter Pan Foundation, facilitating
free holiday flights of children with chronic diseases.
FOCUS ON…
CYCLING BLUE FOR KENYA
To celebrate KLMs 90 th anniversary in 2009, KLM
AirCares sponsored the Cycling Out of Poverty
Foundation. Staff and passengers were both involved,
donating money and miles and generating over
€80,000.
The project involved offering micro credits to families
to either start a bicycle taxi business or purchase
bicycles for their children to help them get to school.
In addition, KLM launched a new sustainability
scheme, also financed through micro credits: bicycle
repair shops. The project paid for the construction of
facilities and the training of 75 people.
Bicycle repair shop
Initiatives supported by Group employees
The network ‘Les Amis de la Fondation Air France’ features
over 1,950 staff in a range of voluntary and fundraising
schemes. In 2009, they supported Foundation projects by
giving their time for extra school tuition, helping families with
sick children, taking kids for a day at the seaside, and doing
cell phone collections. Large numbers of employees, especially
cabin crew, are also members of the Aviation Without Borders
association, accompanying sick children en route to France
and the Netherlands for treatment or transporting packets of
medication.
Others are involved in spontaneous actions, including a scheme
run by seven apprentices trained at Air France Industries, who
organized a collection of 9,000 books, school textbooks and
toys. Carried by Air France Cargo, the gifts were distributed
by the trainees themselves to schools in the Thiès region of
Senegal in November 2009, in a poignant mission.
Examples of initiatives carried out by KLM employees include
support for cancer research (Pink Ribbon, Koningin Wilhelmina
Foundation, Kika Child Cancer) and other projects.
Wings of Support helps children in developing countries,
involving a voluntary commitment from flight crew and ground
staff at KLM and Martinair. Together they have launched
hundreds of projects from building schools and orphanages to
setting up sports teams.
Both airlines also work at local level, such as in China or in The
Philippines, where KLM teams have helped to collect money
for among other things funding and building in 2010 around 30
homes for homeless people in the Manila region.