Transavia celebrates its 60th anniversary and names retro Airbus 'John Block'
Transavia is celebrating its 60th anniversary today with a special event in Hangar 2 at Schiphol Airport. The highlight of the day is the christening of the unique Airbus A321neo in retro livery, which from today will bear the name “John Block”: a tribute to the pioneer who founded Transavia in 1965 and made flying accessible to everyone.
At the event, Transavia received congratulations from, among others, outgoing Minister Robert Tieman (Infrastructure and Water Management), Ben Smith (CEO Air France-KLM Group), Marjan Rintel (CEO KLM), Wouter van Wersch (Executive Vice President International Airbus) and members of the Supervisory Board.
Sixty years of Transavia
Earlier in the morning, a panel discussion was held on the future of Dutch aviation, with COO Marloes van Laake representing Transavia and (prospective) Members of Parliament from the VVD, CDA and BBB parties. Topics such as sustainability, innovation and accessibility were central to the discussion. The morning concluded with a symbolic highlight: the naming of the retro Airbus A321neo by Minister Tieman and CEO Marcel de Nooijer.
Marcel de Nooijer, CEO of Transavia: "Sixty years of Transavia is above all a story of people: colleagues, partners and millions of passengers whom we have connected with each other. John Block was there at the beginning of that story. With entrepreneurial spirit and courage, he made flying accessible to a wide audience. It is therefore fitting that our retro Airbus – the aircraft that symbolically connects the past and the future – bears his name. We are proud of our heritage and look ahead with the same energy: affordable, reliable and with a focus on sustainability."
John Block (1929–1994)
Block was co-founder and first CEO of Transavia Holland. With his customer-focused and entrepreneurial approach, he laid the foundation for Transavia's success and inspired generations of aviation professionals. His pioneering spirit – down-to-earth, innovative and service-oriented – remains at the heart of the company today. The christened Airbus A321neo pays tribute to 60 years of heritage while also looking to the future.
Looking ahead
Sixty years after its foundation, Transavia is looking ahead with the same pioneering spirit with which it started out. Aviation is changing rapidly and demands responsibility, innovation and cooperation. Transavia is investing in a completely new Airbus fleet that is modern, quieter and more fuel-efficient, as well as in digital innovation for an improved customer and employee experience. In addition, Transavia continues to focus on what has made it unique since 1965: affordable and reliable flying for everyone. Whether it's for holidays, family visits or work, connecting people and places remains at the heart of what Transavia does.
Marcel de Nooijer: ‘The best way to celebrate our anniversary is to continue investing in the future – exactly as John Block would have intended: with ambition, entrepreneurship and an eye for our customers.’
This press release was translated using automated tools. Please refer to the original Dutch version for the most accurate information.
