KLM is to launch a daily service from Amsterdam to Liverpool, a city it has not served since the 1930’s.

Services with the Dutch division of carrier Air France – KLM began this week from Liverpool John Lennon Airport with three daily departures aboard a seventy seat Fokker 70. The service will offer connections to roughly one hundred destinations at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport.

Airport chiefs last month lobbied MP’s for government support following the vast decline of services from UK regional airports over the past year, after decades of growth.

However Christine Ourmieres, Air France – KLM UK general manager said “Regional departures are at the core of our business”. The carrier now serves fifteen UK airports.

Ourmieres rejected claims that the Liverpool flights would take traffic away from Manchester where Air France has five daily departures and KLM six.

She added “We do not believe this will impact on Manchester traffic. We would not have done this if there was any uncertainty”, adding “Agents appreciate regional departures”.

Air France has no other plans to fly from any other UK airports after issuing a profits warning last week, revealing an operating loss of 200 million euro for the year to March against a profit in May 2008 of 1 billion euro.