WILLEMSTAD – This month marks twenty years since TUI launched its first flight to Curaçao and opened a local office with just six employees. To commemorate the milestone, TUI has named one of its Boeing 787 Dreamliners, registration PH-TFJ, after the island.
The naming ceremony took place on Monday, May 26, led by Arjan Kers, Managing Director of TUI Netherlands and Belgium. The event was attended by Prime Minister Gilmar Pisas, airport representative Peggy Croes, Anuschka Cova (CEO of hotel association CHATA), and Muryad de Bruin, Director of the Curaçao Tourism Board.
3.5 Million Passengers in 20 Years
TUI currently operates fourteen flights per week to and from Curaçao, often in combination with destinations such as Aruba, Bonaire, and the Dominican Republic.
“In the past two decades, a total of 3.5 million passengers have flown with TUI to Curaçao, mainly from the Netherlands and—until the end of 2025—from Belgium as well,” said Kers.
A Journey That Began Out of Necessity
TUI’s Curaçao operations began under urgent circumstances in 2004, after the bankruptcy of Air Exel, owned by Dutch entrepreneur Erik de Vlieger. TUI had been using Air Exel to provide seats for its Curaçao package holidays, but the sudden collapse of the airline forced the company to act quickly.
Within days, Steven van der Heijden, then head of TUI Netherlands, decided to take over the lease of two Boeing 767s from the failed airline. This move led to the rapid launch of ArkeFly, a new airline that would operate flights for TUI and its partners.
With the 767s, ArkeFly also served other destinations such as Miami, Orlando, Bonaire, the Dominican Republic, Cuba, Mexico, and Jamaica.
From 767s to Dreamliners
In 2012, TUI introduced its first Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, becoming the first airline in the Dutch and Belgian markets to operate the then-revolutionary aircraft. Despite this fleet upgrade, the 767s remained in service for many years and were even replaced over time with newer models.
It wasn’t until 2024 that TUI retired the last of its Boeing 767 aircraft, officially ending a key chapter in the company’s flight history.
As TUI looks ahead to future growth, the naming of the Dreamliner ‘Curaçao’ stands as a symbol of the airline’s longstanding relationship with the island and its continued commitment to Caribbean tourism.
