KLM 787 carrying Queen of Belgium lands in Costa Rica with cracked windshield

A KLM-Royal Dutch Airlines flight from Amsterdam to Costa Rica carrying the Queen of Belgium made a priority landing after the crew reported that a panel of the aircraft’s windshield had cracked during the descent into its destination. The airplane landed safely with all passengers, including its regal guest, being deplaned normally without further incident.

The flight involved was KLM flight KL759 on February 9, 2025, operating from Amsterdam-Schiphol Airport (AMS) to San José-Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO), the primary international gateway for Costa Rica. The flight was being operated by one of the airline’s 13-strong fleet of Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners registered as PH-BHD.

Flight KL759 departed Amsterdam at 12:13 local time for its approximately 11-hour flight to San Jose. The flight proceeded normally and without incident, crossing the Atlantic Ocean on a westerly track at a cruising altitude of 38,000ft. Upon starting its descent towards San José Airport, the crew reported to air traffic controllers that the captain’s front main windshield panel had cracked and that they were requesting a priority landing at the airport.

Having continued the descent normally, the flight landed on runway 07 at San Jose at 16:56 local time without further incident and taxied to its parking stand where all passengers were disembarked. The return flight to Amsterdam, due to be operated by the same aircraft was canceled. According to data obtained from Flightradar24, the aircraft has not flown since and is still awaiting repair on the ground in San José, some five days after the event.

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 KLM issued an official statement confirming the incident, emphasizing that passengers and crew safety remained uncompromised throughout the flight.

According to reports, KL759 was transporting Queen Mathilde of Belgium to perform various duties as part of a UNICEF-organized three-day visit to the Central American country. Belgian royal media correspondent Wim Dehandschutter, who was traveling on the same flight as the Quen to cover the official visit, reported that he had only discovered the windshield damage to the aircraft after landing in Costa Rica.

Dehandschutter shared images of the cracked windshield on social media platform X. The images clearly show that the left-hand front windshield is heavily cracked although remains in place and intact. He reported that the crew made no announcement to passengers regarding the cracked windshield before landing.

kamilpetran / Shutterstock52-year-old Queen Mathilde continued with her UNICEF mission in Costa Rica, which had the aim of establishing childcare facilities in underserved communities. The Belgian royal family, along with Dehandschutter, shared visual documentation of the Queen’s various engagements with local children across their respective social media channels. She visited crucial community institutions such as La Cometa, a public childcare facility in Tirrases, San José province, and met with representatives at Lloverá Foundation, an organization dedicated to supporting Costa Rica’s homeless population.

It is understood that the Queen was due to return to Belgium via Amsterdam on Wednesday, February 12, 2025, at the end of her visit, traveling back on KLM flight KL760. This flight, operated by KLM Boeing 777-200-ER PH-BQG departed San Jose at 21:05 local time and is due to land in Amsterdam at 13:54 on February 13, 2025.

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KLM 787 carrying Queen of Belgium lands in Costa Rica with cracked windshield

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