Editing KNILM (section)

==Founding and expansion==
KNILM was founded on 16 July 1928 as the NILM by a group of 32 Netherlands Indian investors with a capitalization of NLG 5 million. To prevent confusion with an existing insurance company ''[[Nillmij]]'', it was appended with the ''Koninklijk'' (Royal) title on 15 October 1928. The airline operated in the Dutch East Indies (present-day [[Indonesia]]), and later, parts of [[Southeast Asia]] and Australia.

[[File:COLLECTIE TROPENMUSEUM Het eerste vliegtuig is geland op Oelin (27 km van Bandjermasin) Borneo TMnr 10014089.jpg|left|220px|thumb|DC-2 at [[Syamsudin Noor Airport|Oelin]]]]
Its first regular operations were between [[Batavia, Dutch East Indies|Batavia]] (now [[Jakarta]]) - [[Bandung]], and Batavia - [[Semarang]], starting on 1 November 1928. The ceremony was held at Cililitan airport in Batavia (now [[Halim Perdanakusuma International Airport]]). The Batavia-Semarang flight was later extended to [[Surabaya]]. Gradually, the services were expanded to include other islands in the archipelago, namely to [[Palembang]] and [[Medan]] in [[Sumatra]], [[Balikpapan]] and [[Tarakan Island|Tarakan]] in [[Kalimantan]], and [[Denpasar]] in [[Bali]]. Immediately before the [[Pacific War]], KNILM also created a network in the eastern part of the East Indies archipelago, serving towns such as [[Ambon, Maluku|Ambon]]. For this purpose, amphibious aircraft were used, due to the lack of airstrip facilities in the region.

As early as 1930, KNILM began its first international flight to [[Singapore]]. On 3 July 1938 KNILM began operations to [[Sydney]], stopping at [[Darwin, Northern Territory|Darwin]], [[Cloncurry, Queensland|Cloncurry]] and [[Charleville, Queensland|Charleville]]. KNILM did not fly to the Netherlands, as the [[Amsterdam]]-Batavia weekly service was operated by KLM.

===Routes (in 1936)===
[[File:COLLECTIE TROPENMUSEUM Opening van de eerste luchtlijn van de K.N.I.L.M. op Semarang en Bandoeng in november 1928 in aanwezigheid van gouverneur-generaal Jhr.Mr. A.C.D. de Graeff op vliegveld Tjililitan bij Batavia Java TMnr 10010930.jpg|thumb|Opening first KNILM route to Semarang and Bandung in November 1928. [[List of Governors-General of the Dutch East Indies|Governor-General]] Jhr. Mr. [[A.C.D. de Graeff]] attending, [[Halim Perdanakusuma Airport|Tjililitan airport]] near Batavia, Java.]]
*Batavia-Bandung (twice daily in wet season, thrice daily in dry season)
*Batavia-Semarang-Surabaya (daily)
*Batavia-Palembang-Singapore-Pekanbaru (weekly)
*Batavia-Palembang-Pakanbaru-Medan (weekly)
*Batavia-Surabaya-Banjarmasin-Balikpapan-Tarakan (weekly)
*Medan-Penang-Bangkok (weekly)
*Surabaya-Denpasar-Kupang-Darwin (weekly)