diff --git a/providers/google/src/airflow/providers/google/cloud/hooks/kubernetes_engine.py b/providers/google/src/airflow/providers/google/cloud/hooks/kubernetes_engine.py
index 1a935438d102e..a721578132edb 100644
--- a/providers/google/src/airflow/providers/google/cloud/hooks/kubernetes_engine.py
+++ b/providers/google/src/airflow/providers/google/cloud/hooks/kubernetes_engine.py
@@ -80,13 +80,20 @@ def get_conn(self) -> client.ApiClient:
         return client.ApiClient(configuration)
 
     def _refresh_api_key_hook(self, configuration: client.configuration.Configuration):
-        configuration.api_key = {"authorization": self._get_token(self._credentials)}
+        configuration.api_key = self._bearer_api_key(self._get_token(self._credentials))
+
+    @staticmethod
+    def _bearer_api_key(token: str) -> dict[str, str]:
+        # kubernetes-client 36.x renamed the bearer auth key 'authorization' -> 'BearerToken'
+        # (https://github.com/kubernetes-client/python/issues/2582). Register both so the 'Bearer'
+        # prefix is applied on client 35.x and 36.x alike; otherwise 36.x sends the raw token -> 401.
+        return {"authorization": token, "BearerToken": token}
 
     def _get_config(self) -> client.configuration.Configuration:
         configuration = client.Configuration(
             host=self._cluster_url,
-            api_key_prefix={"authorization": "Bearer"},
-            api_key={"authorization": self._get_token(self._credentials)},
+            api_key_prefix={"authorization": "Bearer", "BearerToken": "Bearer"},
+            api_key=self._bearer_api_key(self._get_token(self._credentials)),
         )
         if not self.use_dns_endpoint:
             configuration.ssl_ca_cert = FileOrData(
diff --git a/providers/google/tests/unit/google/cloud/hooks/test_kubernetes_engine.py b/providers/google/tests/unit/google/cloud/hooks/test_kubernetes_engine.py
index 3121ee1b7da56..f3a1a41620416 100644
--- a/providers/google/tests/unit/google/cloud/hooks/test_kubernetes_engine.py
+++ b/providers/google/tests/unit/google/cloud/hooks/test_kubernetes_engine.py
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@
 from airflow.providers.common.compat.sdk import AirflowException
 from airflow.providers.google.cloud.hooks.kubernetes_engine import (
     GKEAsyncHook,
+    GKEClusterConnection,
     GKEHook,
     GKEKubernetesAsyncHook,
     GKEKubernetesHook,
@@ -486,6 +487,32 @@ def test_apply_from_yaml_file(self, mock_get_conn, mock_super, api_client, expec
         mock_super.return_value.apply_from_yaml_file.assert_called_once_with(**expected_kwargs)
 
 
+class TestGKEClusterConnection:
+    @pytest.mark.parametrize("expired", [False, True])
+    def test_registers_bearer_token_for_client_35_and_36(self, expired):
+        # The bearer token and its "Bearer" prefix must be registered under both the client-35.x key
+        # ('authorization') and the client-36.x key ('BearerToken', renamed in
+        # https://github.com/kubernetes-client/python/issues/2582). Asserting the registration
+        # directly verifies both-version support regardless of which client CI installed; the
+        # auth_settings() check then confirms the installed client emits the prefixed header.
+        credentials = mock.MagicMock()
+        credentials.token = "the-token"
+        credentials.expired = expired
+        credentials.refresh = lambda request: setattr(credentials, "token", "the-token")
+        conn = GKEClusterConnection(
+            cluster_url="https://cluster",
+            ssl_ca_cert=None,
+            credentials=credentials,
+            use_dns_endpoint=True,
+        )
+
+        config = conn.get_conn().configuration
+
+        assert config.api_key == {"authorization": "the-token", "BearerToken": "the-token"}
+        assert config.api_key_prefix == {"authorization": "Bearer", "BearerToken": "Bearer"}
+        assert config.auth_settings()["BearerToken"]["value"] == "Bearer the-token"
+
+
 class TestGKEKubernetesAsyncHook:
     @staticmethod
     def make_mock_awaitable(mock_obj, result=None):