Pieter Elbers, CEO of KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, said it has been a privilege to work for the carrier for 27 years and it is wonderful that the airline connects people across the globe.

From the Netherlands, the carrier is now flying all over the world. The Air France-KLM Group has become one of the largest European airlines to operate in China. In 1948, KLM launched its first flight from Amsterdam to Shanghai, and now it has direct flights that connect Amsterdam with second-tier Chinese cities like Chengdu, Sichuan province, Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, and Xiamen, Fujian province, in addition to major cities.

"Thinking back, our first chief executive of KLM, Albert Plesman, founded the aviation of tomorrow. He had a dream: 'the ocean of the air unites all people', a network that connects all people. His vision for the future and determination have made dreams into reality. I'm honored to work at this airline company that is still pursuing that dream," Elbers said.