WILLEMSTAD, ORANJESTAD – Plans for a passenger ferry between Curaçao and Aruba have suffered a setback after the Aruban government halted the tender process for a feasibility study. The development makes it increasingly uncertain whether the ferry service can begin by the end of 2027 as originally envisioned.
According to Dutch maritime publication Schuttevaer, the tender was stopped because bids submitted by consulting firms exceeded the available budget by more than 20 percent. Under the applicable procurement rules, Aruba could therefore not continue with the procedure.
The feasibility study is an important step in establishing the proposed inter-island ferry. It was intended not only to determine whether the passenger service is technically, financially and operationally viable, but also to prepare the tender for selecting an operator.
That operator tender had been scheduled for February 2027. With the feasibility study now delayed, that timetable is under pressure as well.
The original ambition was to have the ferry operating between Aruba and Curaçao by the end of 2027. Based on the latest setback, however, operations are now expected to begin no earlier than early 2028.
The delay does not mean that the ferry project has been abandoned. The initiative remains in place and is receiving financial support from the Netherlands.
The Aruban government must now decide how to proceed. One possibility is to modify the scope of the assignment so that a new tender can remain within the available budget. Another option would be to allocate additional funding and launch a new procurement round.
A ferry connection between Aruba and Curaçao has long been discussed as an alternative form of transportation between the islands. Such a service could provide residents and visitors with another option besides air travel while potentially facilitating greater movement between the two economies.
The latest development nevertheless illustrates that several important steps still need to be completed before vessels can begin carrying passengers between the islands.
For now, the immediate challenge is restarting the feasibility study process. Any further delay at that stage could push the introduction of the Aruba-Curaçao ferry beyond the currently expected early-2028 timeframe.