New funding arrangement KLM Flight Academy students

Studying at the KLM Flight Academy (KLMFA) is becoming more attractive. Those who successfully complete the KLMFA training program are guaranteed a job as a pilot with KLM. The new funding arrangement also makes the training program accessible to people who want to become pilots with KLM but cannot afford to pay for it themselves. This new arrangement will make an important contribution to KLM’s ambitious recruitment targets in the coming years.

(Prospective) pilots who start at KLMFA from January 1, 2026, can exchange the funding of the training program for their (future) gross salary during and after the training. When they join KLM, their gross salary will be reduced by a monthly training contribution for 120 months.

Eimerd Bult, Executive Vice President KLM Flight Operations: “This new funding arrangement makes it possible for anyone with the ambition and the right talent to become a pilot at KLM to follow the training at the KLM Flight Academy. This is an important step for people who dream of becoming pilots, but also for KLM, because we have a great need to recruit pilots now and in the future.”

KLM has made agreements with the Dutch Tax and Customs Administration about this new form of financing. Pilots’ union VNV is also involved, with specific transitional arrangements being made for (prospective) pilots who complete their training at the KLMFA between January 1, 2020, and December 31, 2025.