PDX adds Amsterdam flight
Tuesday October 9, 5:40 pm ET
Northwest Airlines will partner with KLM Royal Dutch Airlines to offer a new direct flight from Portland to Amsterdam, the airlines announced Tuesday.
The route is expected to be heavily used by several local companies, including Nike Inc. (NYSE: NKE - News), FEI Co. (NASDAQ: FEIC - News) and Wieden & Kennedy, all of which have significant European operations.
It could also be a boon for local companies building their European sales and operations in response to the declining value of the U.S. dollar.
Portland International Airport has added several international flights in recent years. It now offers direct service to Tokyo, Frankfurt, Vancouver, British Columbia, and several cities in Mexico.
The Tokyo and Frankfurt flights, added in 2004 and 2003 respectively, have been huge hits with the local business community.
The daily Lufthansa flight to Frankfurt, Germany, has served more than 101,000 passengers this year, an 11.3 percent increase from this time last year.
Portland International Airport served more than 14 million passengers in 2006, an all-time high. It's ahead of that pace by roughly 4 percent this year.
The new daily flight to Amsterdam will depart Portland at 4:05 p.m. and arrive in Amsterdam at 11 a.m. the next day, beginning March 29, 2008. The return flight will leave Amsterdam at 10:30 a.m. and arrive in Portland at 11:55 a.m. the same day.
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