Dutch King Reveals Double Life as an Airline Pilot

Dutch King
King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands skis in the alpine resort of Lech am Arlberg, Austria February 27, 2017. Michaela Rehle/Reuters

The Dutch King has announced he is stepping down from some of his lesser-known duties—but he's not talking about diplomatic visits, speeches, or shaking people's hands.

In an interview with Dutch media published Wednesday, King Willem-Alexander said he had ended the role he'd held for more than two decades as a "guest pilot" for Dutch airline KLM, The Guardian reported.

The royal has acted as a co-pilot roughly twice a month on the carrier's fleet of Fokker 70 planes and before that on Dutch carrier Martinair.

The 50-year-old father of three says the break is only temporary: He will retrain to fly Boeing 737s because the aging Fokkers are being retired.

He said that flying takes his mind away from his royal duties and helps him focus on something else: "You have an aircraft, passengers and crew. You have responsibility for them," the king said.

"You can't take your problems from the ground into the skies. You can completely disengage and concentrate on something else. That, for me, is the most relaxing part of flying."

The interview marks the first time the king has disclosed how often he flies, though it was previously known that he had a pilot's license and sometimes flew KLM passenger flights.

He reflected that the job has changed in the past two decades: since 9/11, tighter security means he isn't so often recognized by passengers.

"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 while he does make announcements as a co-pilot, "most people don't listen anyway."

Willem-Alexander ascended to the throne in 2013 after the abdication of his mother, Queen (now Princess) Beatrix.

He carried out national service in the country's navy and held a military pilot's licence. According to the BBC, he had previously revealed it was his dream to fly a large passenger jet, something he will now get to do if he successfully trains on the 737.

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