THE HAGUE - In 2026, commercial passenger flights between Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao can be started with electric aircraft. By 2030, half of the number of travelers between the ABC islands will have to fly electrically and by 2035 every passenger. This can be read in the Master Plan and the accompanying Roadmap for Electric Flying that the Dutch Minister of Infrastructure and Water Management Mark Harbers sent to the Dutch Parliament today.

The study commissioned by the ministry confirms that the ABC islands are ideally suited for the deployment of electric aircraft. The distances are relatively short, there is enough wind and sun to charge the batteries and the first generation of electrical appliances that will be launched on the market within a few years, are equal in capacity to the fleet of the existing local companies Divi Divi and EZ Air which transport the majority of passengers between the ABC islands.

Electric flying is not only cleaner and quieter, but also cheaper. The higher purchase price is recouped in a relatively short time due to the significantly lower maintenance and fuel costs. Aviation economists therefore expect that air fares can drop considerably.