Royal flights, hidden passion, and his true motivation

For more than two decades, King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands lived a double life. Away from royal engagements and ceremonial duties, he took to the skies as a part-time co-pilot for KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, mostly flying regional routes for KLM Cityhopper. 

His alias was “Meneer van Buren,” a nod to the Dutch royal family’s historic, informal title. The king maintained complete anonymity in the cockpit, blending in seamlessly with the crew in standard KLM uniform.

He often greeted passengers with a cheerful, “welcoming them on behalf of the captain and crew,” without ever revealing he was their monarch. “Even if someone recognizes my voice, the majority of people do not listen anyway,” he joked. 

Flying was more than a hobby, it was a retreat. “You have an aircraft, passengers and crew. You have responsibility for them,” he told De Telegraaf in 2017. “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.”

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Willem-Alexander’s passion for aviation began long before KLM. He obtained his Private Pilot’s Licence in 1985 and spent time flying as a volunteer in Kenya for the African Medical Research & Education Foundation and the Kenyan Wildlife Service. 

In 1994, he was presented with his Military Pilot’s Licence by his grandfather, Prince Bernhard. He has even said that he would have been a professional pilot had he not been born into the royal family.

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Willem-Alexander flew roughly two to three times a month, even after ascending the throne in 2013. To keep his commercial license active, he logged the required 150 flight hours annually. His career in the cockpit evolved alongside KLM’s fleet. 

He piloted Fokker 70 aircraft for Cityhopper for over 20 years before retraining on the Boeing 737, completing his final scheduled flight on that model in March 2026. As KLM transitions to the Airbus A321neo, the king is now training on the newest planes.

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His skills have also been called upon for official duties. In 2024, he piloted the Dutch government plane for a royal visit to Georgia, flying Queen Maxima all the way to Atlanta, showing that his expertise extends beyond commercial flights.

Security and anonymity became easier after 9/11. The king noted that before the attacks, cockpit doors were often open, and curious passengers could wander in. 

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Today, tighter restrictions have made it easier to fly under the radar. Walking through Schiphol Airport in uniform, he is rarely recognized. Flying offered Willem-Alexander a mental break from his royal responsibilities. 

The intense focus required in the cockpit allowed him to “switch off” from palace life. “It’s a fantastic way to leave your royal duties on the ground and fully focus on something else,” he said at the time.

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Even as king, he treasured these hours in the air, a space where the pressures of governing 17 million Dutch citizens could be set aside in favor of a purely technical, absorbing task. 

The king’s secret was revealed in a 2017 interview with De Telegraaf, though by that point he had already spent 21 years flying under the pseudonym. He described his role as a “guest pilot,” a position he held concurrently with his royal obligations, and one that gave him quick access back to the Netherlands for emergencies when needed.

Willem-Alexander is not alone among royals in his love of aviation. Prince Philip, the late Duke of Edinburgh, logged nearly 6,000 flying hours across more than 60 aircraft, including the Concorde. Thailand’s King Maha Vajiralongkorn and Queen Suthida are also trained pilots, often flying their own aircraft for state visits.