King Willem-Alexander Ends KLM 737 Chapter, Moves to A320 Rating
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King Willem-Alexander has completed his final Boeing 737 flight as a KLM guest pilot, marking both a personal milestone and a significant moment in KLM’s fleet transition. As the airline moves towards a new generation of Airbus A321neo aircraft, the event symbolises the end of an era for both the airline and one of its most unique pilots.
Published: 15 May 2026
Written by: Shashwat Dwivedi
In March 2026, Willem-Alexander, the King of the Netherlands, landed a very special flight. It was a Boeing 737, to be precise, and what made it special was the fact that the King was landing the aircraft for the final time as a KLM Royal Dutch Airlines (KL) guest pilot.
The King, who has an impressive portfolio of qualifications spanning private, commercial, military, and multi-engine jet categories, has accumulated this experience over the past 25 years. As the last 737 flight touched down, this marked the end of an era as KLM prepares to finalise a €7 billion deal to renew its fleet. This aims to replace the narrow-body Boeing aircraft with the Airbus A321neo.
At the moment, the King is preparing to train for the new type rating to ensure that his service as a co-pilot for the airline remains uninterrupted with the change of aircraft in the fleet. The departure from the Boeing 737 marks a broader structural transformation underway across KLM’s European network.
The King's association with the aviation industry is not something surprising; the Dutch Royal Family's preference for flying is a long-standing part of their heritage. However, his association with KLM came to light only in 2017, when he told a Dutch newspaper that he had been working as a guest pilot for the KLM Cityhopper services for over two decades.
He told the newspaper about his motivation to continue flying:
"You have an aircraft, passengers and crew. You have responsibility for them. You can’t take your problems from the ground into the skies. You can completely disengage and concentrate on something else."
It is worth noting that KLM wasn’t his first rodeo; he earned his first pilot licence when he was working as a volunteer pilot for the African Medical Research and Education Foundation (AMREF) Flying Doctors, operating out of Nairobi, Kenya. Prince Bernhard, the King's grandfather and a famous wartime aviator himself, had presented him with his military pilot licence in 1994.
The Dutch king also stands as a witness to multiple transition periods in the history of KLM's aviation. When the airline replaced the Fokker 70s with the Boeing 737 in 2017, the King had retrained to acquire the new type rating, and now, as the Boeings are being replaced, he is going to begin to acquire the type rating for the A321neo.
According to KLM’s own press release on the first A321neo delivery, the aircraft is approximately 21% more fuel-efficient per passenger tonne kilometre than the Boeing 737 it replaces, and reduces its noise footprint by roughly half. It also carries more passengers per rotation on busy routes.
Willem Alexander isn't the only monarch to have active pilot qualifications; back in 2017, King Charles of the UK, who was a prince then, was a qualified pilot too and Princes William and Harry also served as helicopter pilots in the British military. What sets the Dutch King apart is the sustained, low-profile nature of his commercial participation.
Key Facts
King Willem-Alexander has over 25 years of flying experience across multiple licence types
Served as a KLM guest pilot for more than two decades
Final Boeing 737 flight completed in March 2026
KLM is investing approximately €7 billion in fleet renewal
Transitioning from Boeing 737 to Airbus A321neo aircraft
A321neo offers ~21% improved fuel efficiency and lower noise footprint
The King is preparing for a new type rating to continue flying
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Author: Shashwat Dwivedi Aviation staffing and consultancy insights LinkedIn
