Corendon and TUI offer alternative to replacing Dutch Government’s Boeing 737

Dutch leisure airlines Corendon and TUI fly Netherlands have proposed an alternative solution to the Dutch government’s plans to replace its Boeing 737-700 BBJ (registration PH-GOV), arguing that the aircraft could remain in service for many more years while saving taxpayers around €100 million.

The proposal comes just days after reports that the Dutch government intends to replace the eight-year-old Boeing Business Jet because KLM, which currently operates and maintains the aircraft for state and royal flights, is transitioning its fleet from Boeing to Airbus. As a result, KLM says it will no longer be able to provide long-term support for the aircraft, prompting plans to acquire a new Airbus-based government jet.

Corendon founder Atilay Uslu has challenged that reasoning, insisting that his airline is fully capable of operating and maintaining the aircraft. “We operate Boeing 737 aircraft, and we could handle the operation and maintenance of the government aircraft,” he said, adding that the PH-GOV could remain in service for another 20 years. According to Uslu, outsourcing the operation would eliminate the need for an expensive replacement while maintaining the same level of service.

TUI has reportedly expressed a similar willingness to take over the aircraft’s operation. Both airlines continue to operate sizeable Boeing 737 fleets and therefore possess the technical expertise, maintenance capability and flight crews required to support the BBJ.

The Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management has maintained that KLM is currently the only operator in the Netherlands that meets all requirements for transporting members of the government and the Royal House. Corendon disputes that assessment and believes the work could be transferred without compromising safety or operational standards.

The debate comes as the government faces criticism for replacing an aircraft that entered service only in 2019, after it was acquired for approximately €89 million. The planned successor is expected to cost well over €100 million, making the decision increasingly controversial at a time when a less costly alternative may be available.

This development is likely to fuel further political debate in the Netherlands, with the competing proposals raising broader questions about whether government aircraft should remain tied to a single national carrier or whether their operation could be competitively outsourced.