AMSTERDAM – Airline KLM Royal Dutch Airlines has been fined €4,000 after allowing a passenger without a valid visa to travel from Curaçao to the Netherlands, according to a ruling by the Amsterdam Court of Appeal.
The case concerns a passenger from Ecuador who departed from Hato International Airport on October 8, 2022, bound for Amsterdam Airport Schiphol. Upon arrival, authorities determined that the traveler did not possess the required visa to enter the Schengen Area.
Under Dutch immigration law, airlines are required to verify that passengers have the correct travel documents before boarding. The court concluded that this obligation was not properly fulfilled in this case.
According to the ruling, checking whether a passenger holds a valid visa is a basic and essential responsibility. Allowing a traveler without the necessary documentation to board indicates a failure in that duty of care.
KLM argued that the document verification at the airport had been carried out by ground staff employed by an external handling company. However, the court rejected this defense, stating that such personnel act on behalf of the airline.
As a result, the airline remains legally responsible for errors made during the document control process and must pay the imposed fine.
The ruling reinforces the obligation of airlines operating international flights from Curaçao and elsewhere to strictly enforce document checks before passengers are allowed to board.