Dutch King Willem-Alexander Set to Become Airbus Pilot
King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands, a licensed Boeing 737 pilot, is training to obtain his certification to fly the Airbus A321.
The Dutch flying King
The head of state of the Netherlands, King Willem-Alexander, is a big aviation enthusiast.
The King of the Netherlands is licensed to fly Boeing 737 aircraft and often pilots the Dutch government plane, a Boeing 737 with tail number PH-GOV, himself when travelling abroad on state visits.
What is even more remarkable is that the Dutch King also pilots commercial KLM flights in his spare time, a fact widely known in the Netherlands but less so abroad.
King Willem-Alexander occasionally flies on a KLM Boeing 737 as a first officer to ensure he clocks enough flight hours each year to renew his commercial pilot’s certificate.
Airbus pilot certificate
Although King Willem-Alexander will turn 58 this Sunday (27 April 2025), he said he will not retire anytime soon from active flight duty, telling Dutch press that “I hope to continue [as a pilot] for quite a while”.
The Dutch King, who has been a pilot for 40 years and obtained his ATPL (Airline Transport Pilot Licence) in 2001, is so dedicated to flying that he is now training to obtain his certification to fly the Airbus A321.
The main reason King Willem-Alexander is obtaining a licence to fly Airbus planes is that KLM is renewing its narrow-body fleet, replacing its Boeing 737s with brand new Airbus A320s and A321s.
King Willem-Alexander said: “I am allowed to fly until I am 65 on my ATPL license.
“I will fly as long as I can, as long as I am allowed, and as long as I am healthy and enjoy it.”
Training
According to the Dutch newspaper Telegraaf, King Willem-Alexander is actively discussing with KLM the most suitable schedule for beginning his flight training for the Airbus A321.
Telegraaf reported that the Dutch King will wait until KLM has managed to certify enough of its own pilots to fly the A321, a massive operation involving over a thousand pilots who currently fly other aircraft types for the Dutch airline.
As KLM Royal Dutch Airlines is already facing a pilot shortage, King Willem-Alexander doesn’t want to take the place of a full-time pilot, as they require retraining and recertification more urgently to maintain daily operations.
From Fokker to Airbus
Before receiving his Boeing 737 pilot certification, King Willem-Alexander flew for KLM’s regional subsidiary, KLM Cityhopper, on Fokker 70 aircraft.
The previous Dutch government plane also happened to be a Fokker 70 (tail number PH-KBX), which the King often piloted himself.
When the government’s Fokker 70 needed replacing due to its age and increasing operational unreliability, it was rumoured that a key reason the Dutch government opted for a Boeing 737 was that it allowed the King to continue flying the plane, something that would not have been possible if it had been replaced by another aircraft type.
Given that the Dutch government plane is flown by KLM pilots and maintained by the Royal Dutch airline at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport, it also made arrangements easier.
Conclusion
King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands, who regularly pilots the Dutch government plane and commercial KLM Boeing 737s, will soon begin training to obtain certification for flying the Airbus A321.
Given that KLM will soon replace its narrow-body Boeing 737 fleet with Airbus A320 and A321 aircraft, King Willem-Alexander will also need to retrain and obtain his Airbus pilot certification if he wants to continue flying as a commercial pilot in his spare time.
This is something the Dutch King has said he wants to do “as long as I can” and “as long as I am allowed”.
