For years, KLM and the armed forces have collaborated well in various domains such as repatriation, knowledge exchange, and support. The agreement signed today is an important step towards closer cooperation between civil and military aviation in the Netherlands. Marjan Rintel, CEO of KLM, and Gijs Tuinman, acting State Secretary of Defense, were present in Hangar 14 today to sign the agreement.
State Secretary of Defense Gijs Tuinman praises KLM's proactive approach. “The world around us has become less secure, and the challenges for the armed forces are significant. Cooperation with the business sector is therefore crucial, as we can help and strengthen each other. I am pleased with this step towards even closer collaboration that we are taking today with KLM to make the Netherlands more resilient.”
Marjan Rintel adds: “I am proud that KLM can contribute to the resilience of the Netherlands in this way today. Through this expansion of our cooperation, we can provide colleagues who wish to do so the opportunity to play an important role as reservists. This contributes to KLM's attractiveness as an employer. We are also pleased that the Defense forces can utilize our expertise and experience in aviation in various areas.”
For cooperation in the cockpit, KLM is making a capacity of five 'full-time equivalents' (FTE) available. These hours can be distributed among a larger group of pilots who wish to fly as reservists with the Defense forces. This is on a voluntary basis and currently applies specifically to pilots who are active in entry-level positions at KLM. They may, for example, be deployed to regularly train pilots on the F35, ensuring they remain up-to-date.
KLM and the Ministry of Defense are also exploring further cooperation possibilities in the areas of recruitment, training of technical personnel, MRO activities (Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul), and air transport. The details of this closer cooperation will be worked out in the coming period.
