AMSTERDAM (BNO NEWS) — A Swedish pilot was arrested at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport on Tuesday on charges of flying commercial airliners with no valid pilot license for more than 13 years, authorities said on Wednesday.
The Swedish pilot was taken into custody on Tuesday around 10.45 p.m. local time during a joint operation by the Dutch Inspection of Traffic and Water and the KLPD Netherlands Police Agency. The 41-year-old pilot, who lives in the Italian city of Milan, is being accused of forgery and flying without a valid pilot license. He is scheduled to appear before a judge on Friday.
The Dutch Inspection of Traffic and Water was informed by Swedish authorities that the pilot was currently in the Netherlands and was using a false Airline Transport Pilot License, which is required for pilots of passenger planes. He was arrested in the cockpit of a Boeing 737, which he was scheduled to fly to the Turkish city of Ankara.
The operation was planned by the relevant Dutch authorities, who wanted to arrest him as he was preparing for the flight. The airliner, which was not immediately named, was briefed in advance - and was able to arrange a new pilot in advance.
The pilot, according to Dutch authorities, was once in possession of a valid Commercial Pilot License, but had since expired. However, this license was only valid for small commercial airplanes.
After his arrest on Tuesday, the pilot said he was relieved to have been caught. He said he had flown for more than 13 years on multiple airliners in Belgium, the UK and Italy. He has flown at least 10,000 hours during these years.
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