Eighty years ago, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines made aviation history as the first European airline to launch scheduled service between Amsterdam and New York, marking the beginning of a lasting transatlantic connection.

On May 21, 1946, KLM operated its first flight to LaGuardia Field Airport, pioneering a new era of travel between Europe and the United States in the aftermath of the Second World War. As KLM celebrates 80 years of service on this iconic route, the airline honors its forward-looking spirit, which continues to this day.

To commemorate the anniversary, KLM is partnering with The New York Historical, one of New York City’s most significant cultural institutions and symbol of the city’s Dutch roots.  As part of this collaboration, KLM has created a limited-edition Delft Blue miniature house modeled after The New York Historical building. For decades, KLM has released a new Delft Blue miniature house every year on its birthday, October 7th. With only a handful of limited-edition houses ever created, this unique miniature honors the deep historical connection between the Netherlands and New York - originally founded as New Amsterdam - and reflects the cultural bridge that KLM has helped sustain for eight decades.

A Delft House Pop-up at The New York Historical

At The New York Historical, New York's first museum, the public is invited to discover the KLM travel experience through a special Delft House pop-up in the lobby.  From May 22nd to May 27th 2026, visitors can explore an immersive space that will showcase the pioneering legacy of KLM through historical items including its menus and in-flight magazines, video footage and digital assets, and a special Delft house display, ending with the new miniature Delft house of The New York Historical. Concurrently, visitors will learn more about the Dutch connection with the exhibition Old Masters, New Amsterdam, which features the paintings of Rembrandt and his contemporaries that help us envision life in the New Amsterdam settlement.