THE HAGUE – The Dutch government has decided to exempt the Caribbean parts of the Kingdom from the planned increase in flight taxes for long-haul destinations starting in 2027. The decision was revealed in leaked sections of the Miljoenennota (National Budget) that will be formally presented on Prinsjesdag next Tuesday.

The outgoing Schoof cabinet has chosen to implement a motion put forward earlier this year by PVV parliamentarian Peter van Haasen, which received broad support in the House of Representatives. Van Haasen had warned that applying the higher flight tax to the islands would cause significant harm to their economies, even as the Netherlands is simultaneously investing in measures to strengthen them.

The decision means that flights to Curaçao, Aruba, Bonaire, and Sint Maarten will continue to be charged at the base rate of €3.25 (in 2026), instead of the top rate of €70.86 for journeys longer than 7,000 kilometers.

The exemption is seen as an important relief for the tourism-dependent economies of the islands, where affordable air travel remains vital for connectivity, trade, and visitor arrivals.