Who’s at the Controls on KLM? Sometimes, the Dutch King – The New York Times

Willem-Alexander, 50, became king in 2013 after his mother, Queen Beatrix, abdicated at age 75. He became the Netherlands’ first king in 123 years after three successive queens.

While Willem-Alexander’s love of flying was not secret, his interview revealed far more detail about the extent of his regular piloting for KLM. Kysia Hekster, a reporter who covers the Dutch royals for the broadcaster NOS, said the interview was intended to highlight the king’s role with the national carrier after he was criticized for taking Emirates Airlines last year to visit Australia and New Zealand.

He is one of a handful of royals who are also known to be pilots.

Prince William of Britain was a search-and-rescue helicopter pilot for the British military and has flown for an air ambulance service. His younger brother, Prince Harry, flew Apache attack helicopters in Afghanistan with British Army Air Corps. Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunei sometimes pilots his own flights on state visits.

Willem-Alexander said the intense focus needed for piloting took his mind away from other concerns.

“For me the most important thing is that I have a hobby for which I need to concentrate completely. You have an airplane, passengers and a crew. You carry responsibility for that. You cannot take your problems from the ground with you in the sky. You can for a brief moment disconnect and concentrate on something else. That is the biggest relaxation of flying to me.”

KLM Cityhopper plans to retire its fleet of Fokker 70s, the aircraft the king normally co-pilots. He said he planned to begin training on a Boeing 737 to continue flying with KLM.