KLM mechanics in training at the Dutch Royal Air Force
Starting in September, seven KLM mechanics will begin training with the Dutch Royal Air Force. Through this pilot initiative, KLM and the Ministry of Defence will jointly gain experience in deploying civilian technical personnel for maintenance on Defence helicopters.
KLM and the Ministry of Defence announced the initiative today during a gathering at Schiphol-East. The exploration forms part of the further elaboration of the strategic cooperation agreement signed approximately a year ago by Marjan Rintel, CEO of KLM, and Gijs Tuinman, then State Secretary for Defence.
There was strong interest within KLM in participating in the Defence training program. Mathieu Essenberg, EVP KLM Engineering & Maintenance, said: “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. In this way, we are not only strengthening our own organization, but also contributing to the resilience of the Netherlands.”
Commodore Ellen Meeuwsen-Scholten, Director of Personnel at the Dutch Royal Air Force, emphasized the importance of the partnership: “The cooperation between KLM and the Dutch Royal Air Force shows how government and industry can work together to contribute to the resilience of the Netherlands. 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. At the same time, they become familiar with Defence processes, working methods, and culture, enabling them to make a valuable contribution to the operational readiness of the Air Force at crucial moments.”
KLM and the Ministry of Defence are working together to exchange knowledge and make smarter use of personnel and resources so that both organizations are more resilient in emergency situations. They are also exploring ways to intensify cooperation in the areas of component and engine maintenance. As part of this effort, KLM and the Ministry of Defence are examining how existing civil infrastructure, such as the facilities at Schiphol-East and Schiphol-Rijk, including Regional Jet Center and EPCOR, can be used to optimal effect. They are also exploring whether a new facility dedicated specifically to military maintenance could be developed in the future.
In addition to this technical cooperation, the parties are also looking more broadly at opportunities to join forces in other areas.
On te picture: Franck Coesel, Liane Visser, Pieter Cornelisse, Ellen Meeuwsen, Mathieu Essenberg, Roberto Joannes, Radj Jaghbandan, Gijs van Rooijen