KLM debuts new Delftware house for anniversary
The first KLM flight to Aruba landed near the Ecury family home nearly 90 years ago
KLM Royal Dutch Airlines is celebrating the 103rd anniversary of its founding today, an occasion traditionally accompanied by the presentation of a new Delftware miniature house.
This year’s miniature is a replica of a house is the Ecury family home on Aruba. The island will be marking a centenary of aviation next year and the Ecury House – now part of the National Archaeological Museum of Aruba – is close to the site where the first aircraft landed.
The Ecury family played a significant role in the development of aviation on the island. KLM first flew to Aruba nearly ninety years ago and made the island its operational hub for scheduled services across the Caribbean. KLM began operating scheduled services between Amsterdam and Aruba in 1974 and now operates daily flights.
KLM President and CEO Marjan Rintel is on Aruba today to present the latest Delftware miniature to Agustin Vrolijk, Acting Governor of Aruba, and the Ecury.
“I congratulate KLM on its hundred-third anniversary. We are extremely proud of our cultural heritage and are therefore very honored that this iconic mansion, the Ecury complex, has been chosen as KLM's next miniature house,” said Agustin Vrolijk, acting Governor of Aruba. “We are deeply honored that Aruba's cultural heritage will now travel to all KLM destinations worldwide.
Marjan Rintel, CEO and President of KLM added, “I don't know whether the founders of KLM could have imagined back in 1919 that we would still be celebrating the airline’s anniversary 103 years later. This year we are doing so on lovely Aruba, a KLM destination for almost 50 years, where we are kicking off celebrations today marking a centenary of aviation on the island. KLM has had many ups and downs over the past century, but we’ve always marked our anniversary on 7 October, because we want to keep celebrating that KLM is a wonderful company that connects the Netherlands with the world. We should be proud of that.”
The Ecury House is located in Oranjestad and was built in 1929, close to the site where the first aircraft landed on the island almost 100 years ago. It was the home of the well-known Ecury family, prominent in society and business. Son Nicasio “Dundun” Ecury built his business empire from here and played an important role in the development of aviation on the island. His son, Boy Ecury, studied in the Netherlands and became a resistance hero during the Second World War. He was betrayed and executed in 1944.
Next year marks the 100th anniversary of the first flight’s arrival on Aruba. Since then, the airline industry has connected Aruba. The island’s airport serves around 2.5 million passengers annually and has grown significantly over time.
This is the second time in KLM's history that a Delftware miniature is based on a building outside the Netherlands. On KLM's 85th anniversary, the airline presented a replica of the distinctive Penha Building in Curaçao.
