KLM Once Armed Its Crew With Rifles For Protection Against Polar Bears

Sixty-five years ago, airlines such as KLM equipped its flight attendants with AR-10 rifles in case the aircraft had to make an emergency landing in the wild unforgiving arctic!  

The airline operated a trans- poplar route from Amsterdam to Tokyo which offered unique challenges and the airline was so concerned about the possibility of a polar bear attack on stranded passengers, it included the AR-10 “Polar Survival” rifle.

The KLM press photo shows a flight attendant in full arctic survival outfit with the AR-10 rifle and has been colorised by Benoit Vienne.

The air route from Amsterdam via Anchorage to Tokyo was operated by long-range Douglas DC-7C piston planes (below).

The route, was launched in 1958.