KLM Flight Academy is KLM's preferred supplier: when KLM needs new pilots, it recruits them first at the academy. In 2026, the school is training 80 students.17

KLM Flight Academy requires a minimum age of 17 at the start of the course, Dutch or EU nationality, very good command of Dutch (at least B2), a havo, vwo (Dutch senior general and pre-university secondary diplomas) or equivalent diploma (for example IB or Belgian ASO/TSO) with mathematics, physics, English and Dutch, and a height between 158 and 203 cm. The school uses a recommended maximum age of 27.5, although this is not strictly applied. In 2025 there were also students over 30 at the school, provided they had the required secondary school diploma and passed the selection. After the selection procedure, a medical examination follows, carried out by an organisation authorised for initial Class 1 examinations. Glasses or contact lenses are permitted, provided the refractive error is no greater than -6 and +5. With a refractive error greater than -6, taking part in the course might still be possible. Colour blindness is not permitted for admission.341417

You can sign up for the selection procedure in your final exam year from January onwards, provided you have your diploma when the course starts. Around the turn of the year 2025/2026, an invitation arrived within about six days of registering. After the admissions committee (COVA) interview in 2026, one candidate received the result after 3 days; normally the wait for the result is about a week. A candidate who did the admissions committee (COVA) interview in February 2026 was accepted and could start training in June.13

The entire selection procedure takes about three to six months and comprises the pre-selection and four phases, followed by a medical examination. Since April 2025 the procedure has a pre-selection, which according to the Aviation Medical Center (AMC) takes place at the AMC location in Amsterdam, and phase 1, the basic capacities assessment (BCO), and phase 2, the sensorimotor assessment (SMO), are held on the same day. The pre-selection consists of personality questionnaires, intellectual aptitude tests and two sensorimotor tests, administered by the Aviation Medical Center. Phase 1 is the basic capacities assessment (BCO), which takes about 2 hours and covers numerical and verbal capacities, abstract-analytical ability and logical reasoning. Phase 2 is the sensorimotor assessment (SMO): about five sensorimotor tests of multitasking, eye-hand coordination, spatial comprehension, concentration and vigilance, taking about 2 hours. Phase 3 is the core competence assessment (KCO), which looks further into your personality and interpersonal qualities. The psychological assessment is called the core competence assessment (KCO). The KLM Flight Academy selects cadets through the Aviation Medical Center with its own sensorimotor tests.171518

The course is pre-financed by KLM. After completing the course, the candidate repays the costs of EUR 163,500 in 2026, either in one go or through deductions from gross salary over 10 years, with a monthly deduction of EUR 861 in 2026 that is indexed annually. According to the school in 2026, the cost of the campus room is included in the KLM financing of the training costs. If you withdraw of your own accord after passing phase 2 or 3 of the selection, the school can recover the selection costs up to a maximum of EUR 1,800.1617

One applicant in 2025 was rejected in the KLM Flight Academy selection on the technical comprehension component. Another applicant in 2026 failed the KLM Flight Academy pre-selection because of an insufficient score on eye-hand-foot coordination, despite passing the other components. A different applicant was rejected in the 2025 KLM Flight Academy pre-selection on the personality component extraversion, on technical comprehension and on eye-hand-foot coordination. Answering questionnaires in a socially desirable way can also lead to rejection.14

If your first attempt took place within two years of obtaining your havo or vwo diploma, you may apply once more, provided you first complete a bachelor and/or master degree of your choice; at least two years must lie between the two attempts, and the retake must take place within 8 years of the first rejection. Candidates with an MBO-4 diploma have no right to a second attempt.317