WILLEMSTAD - Billy Jonckheer believes that offering more flights from the United States and the Netherlands can be achieved by reintroducing seat guarantees. 

The president of the Chamber of Commerce expresses his satisfaction with Corendon's announcement of plans to operate flights from the Netherlands, and potentially from the United States as well. 

Airline ticket prices to and from Curaçao are exceptionally high. Travelers bound for the United States are paying around $1,200, while prices for the Netherlands range between 2,000 and 3,000 guilders during the summer season. 

This situation raises significant concerns, particularly due to the high demand from both American visitors wishing to come to Curaçao and people from Curaçao wanting to travel to America, according to Jonckheer. 

He attributes the steep ticket prices mainly to the lack of sufficient flights from both the United States and the Netherlands, despite the strong demand. 

The chairman of the Chamber of Commerce points out that airlines could currently fill an aircraft up to 95% capacity. In contrast, ticket prices in Aruba are much lower due to the presence of multiple airlines operating flights from the United States. However, in Curaçao, the main options are American Airlines to Miami and JetBlue to New York. 

Seat Guarantee 

To attract airlines to Curaçao and minimize the risk of empty seats, Jonckheer insists that guarantees must be provided. 

Although seat guarantees were offered in the past, they were never utilized. Jonckheer believes reintroducing these guarantees will serve as an incentive to attract more airlines from the United States. 

If no airlines are willing to fly from the United States, Jonckheer even suggests that Curaçao can organize charter flights to exert pressure on existing carriers and lower fares. 

He emphasizes the urgency of taking action, as high ticket prices are disadvantageous to tourists, and the shortage of workers such as pilots and flight attendants further complicates the situation. 

Therefore, it is crucial to allocate funds to convince airlines to operate flights on this route.