KLM and the Dutch Ministry of Defence have announced a pilot programme in which seven KLM mechanics will begin training with the Royal Dutch Air Force from September, gaining hands-on experience in the maintenance of Defence helicopters.
The initiative was announced at a gathering at Schiphol-East and builds on a strategic cooperation agreement signed approximately a year ago by KLM CEO Marjan Rintel and then State Secretary for Defence Gijs Tuinman. The programme aims to test the deployment of civilian technical personnel in a military maintenance environment, sharing expertise and strengthening the resilience of both organizations.
“At KLM, we have highly experienced technicians who work every day to ensure the safety of our fleet. It is valuable that, through this training, they can apply their expertise in a different environment while also gaining new knowledge,” said Mathieu Essenberg, EVP KLM Engineering & Maintenance.
Commodore Ellen Meeuwsen-Scholten, Director of Personnel at the Dutch Royal Air Force, highlighted the broader strategic value of the cooperation: “By giving technical personnel the opportunity to gain experience within Defence, we are building scalable capacity that can be deployed when the situation calls for it.”
Beyond the training programme, KLM and the Ministry of Defence are exploring deeper cooperation in component and engine maintenance, as well as the potential development of a dedicated military maintenance facility. Both parties are also examining how existing civil infrastructure at Schiphol-East and Schiphol-Rijk could be better utilized for joint purposes.
