Dutch king to spread wings with Boeing 737 training
[THE HAGUE] Dutch King Willem-Alexander, who works part-time as a commercial pilot, is to start conversion training to fly Boeing 737 passenger jets, a Dutch newspaper reported Wednesday.
The conversion training will mean the royal can continue to fly twice a month for KLM as a co-pilot.
The airline is currently phasing out the smaller Fokker 70 plane used on short-haul flights, a policy which would have made it difficult for him to continue flying.
"I really wanted to continue as a guest pilot for KLM and therefore it could actually only be on a plane such as the 737... which means short trips," King Willem-Alexander told the paper in an interview.
"Any bigger aircraft than this (737) always means staying overnight, meaning I cannot get back in time to The Netherlands in case of an emergency," the king said.
The Dutch royal told De Telegraaf daily his conversion training would start at the end of the month.
Passengers, however, will continue to have no idea that there is a member of the royal family in the cockpit. The king's presence is never announced.
AFP
BT is now on Telegram!
For daily updates on weekdays and specially selected content for the weekend. Subscribe to t.me/BizTimes
Transport & Logistics
Toyota is investing US$1.4 billion to build another all-electric SUV in US
Airbus net profit soars 28% in first quarter
Carrier AirAsia discloses new listing plans under RM6.8 billion units merger
Baltimore’s trapped ships start leaving as new channel opens
S&P slashes Boeing credit outlook as rating hovers above junk status
Honda to spend US$11 billion on EV strategy in Canada