In an interview published by the Dutch De Telegraaf daily on Wednesday, King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands said he is a regular “guest pilot,” or co-pilot, on KLM’s fleet of Fokker 70 planes. King Willem has piloted the Fokker for 21 years, first for Martinair and then for KLM. His passengers did not know, most of the time. He will not retrain to fly Boeing 737 as the Fokker fleet is being retired.
Part time job King of the Netherlands
While it is no secret that Willem-Alexander is a qualified pilot who sometimes flew KLM passenger flights, it was not previously clear how frequently it happened. Willem-Alexander said he is rarely recognised by passengers, especially since security was tightened on board planes in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks. “Before September 11, the cockpit door was open. People regularly came to have a look and thought it was nice or surprising that I was sitting there,” he said, adding that very few people recognise him as he walks through Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport in KLM uniform and cap.
