Cracked windshield: priority landing for KLM Boeing 787-9 with Belgian Queen Mathilde on board

On 9 February, a KLM Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner (registration PH-BHD) carrying Belgian Queen Mathilde to Costa Rica experienced a cracked windshield during its flight, the airline has confirmed. However, KLM assured that at no point was passenger or crew safety compromised. Queen Mathilde, 52, was travelling on a commercial KLM flight from Amsterdam Schiphol Airport to San José’s Juan Santamaría Airport (SJO) in Costa Rica as part of a humanitarian mission.

Upon landing, images surfaced on social media showing visible cracks on the aircraft’s cockpit windshield, sparking concerns about the incident.

A spokesperson for KLM acknowledged the issue, stating that the crack developed late in the flight, prompting the crew to continue to their destination as planned. The aircraft was given priority clearance to land in Costa Rica to ensure a swift and safe arrival. Passengers on board didn’t report unusual events during the flight.

PH-BHD was scheduled to operate the return leg to Amsterdam. However, passengers booked on the outbound flight have been re-accommodated on alternative services.

At the moment of writing, on 11 February, the aircraft is still grounded in Costa Rica.

Aircraft are designed to withstand such issues and cockpit windshields consist of multiple layers, ensuring structural integrity even in a crack.

A KLM Royal Dutch Airlines Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner plane (PH-BHD) with a cracked LH side windshield arrived at San José Juan Santamaria Intl. Airport (SJO) with priority landing on Runway 07 after a 10:43 hours flight, on Sunday (09 February) afternoon.

The 2016 built B787… pic.twitter.com/dSbUDGgmW5

— FL360aero (@fl360aero) February 10, 2025