Dutch King co-pilots KLM flights twice per month

For 21 years, the king of the Netherlands has flown twice a month as co-pilot while his passengers were in the dark, he has told a Dutch newspaper.

Willem-Alexander acceded to the throne in 2013 but his other role, in the cockpit, has continued.
"I find flying simply fantastic," he told De Telegraaf newspaper.
He intends to carry on as co-pilot but will spend the summer learning how to fly Boeing 737s.

Until now Willem-Alexander has worked behind the joystick of a Fokker and it was already known that he had appeared as a "guest pilot" before being crowned king, in order to maintain his pilot's licence.

What was not clear was that he was co-piloting passenger flights incognito, twice a month as king, often with KLM Captain Maarten Putman.
The Dutch government said last month that he had flown Fokker 70 aircraft for both the government and KLM Cityhopper service, and that the plane was being replaced this year with a 737. Cityhopper flights are aimed mainly at business travellers in dozens of European destinations, particularly in the UK, Germany and Norway.