WILLEMSTAD, THE HAGUE – Curaçao and the other Caribbean parts of the Kingdom will remain in the lowest category of the Netherlands’ planned distance-based aviation tax, despite their considerable distance from Amsterdam. The Dutch government says the exception is justified by the constitutional relationship within the Kingdom and the potentially serious economic consequences of higher airfares for the Caribbean islands.
Under the proposed Flight Tax Differentiation Act, the Netherlands intends to replace the current flat aviation tax with three rates from 2027. The amount will depend primarily on the distance between Amsterdam and the capital of the passenger’s final destination. The proposed rates are €29.40 for the lowest category, €47.24 for the middle category and €70.86 for the highest category.
Normally, destinations more than 5,500 kilometers from Amsterdam would fall into the highest category. Curaçao, Aruba, Sint Maarten and the Caribbean Netherlands, however, have been given an exception and placed in the lowest category.
The Dutch government says this decision was made deliberately because of the “special constitutional and societal ties” between the European and Caribbean parts of the Kingdom.
According to the government, charging the Caribbean islands the higher long-distance rate would not sufficiently recognize their unique position within the Dutch constitutional system. More importantly for Curaçao, the government says independent research showed that a higher aviation tax would have “significant negative side effects” for the economies of the Caribbean parts of the Kingdom and for connectivity within the Kingdom.
The decision also implements a motion previously submitted by Dutch MP Jorien van Haasen concerning the position of the Caribbean islands.
The exception is particularly important because Curaçao depends heavily on air connectivity with the Netherlands for tourism, family travel, education, business and medical travel.
The new tax applies only to passengers departing from airports in the European Netherlands. Flights departing from Curaçao and the other Caribbean islands themselves are not subject to the Dutch aviation tax.
The Netherlands introduced its current aviation tax in 2021. In 2025, passengers departing from Dutch airports paid a flat rate of €29.40. The proposed system would make long-distance travel substantially more expensive, with the highest rate reaching €70.86.
The Dutch government says the change is intended to make longer flights bear a larger share of their external costs, including climate damage, health effects and noise. The measure is also expected to generate an additional €257 million annually.
For Curaçao, however, the proposed legislation means the aviation tax would remain at the lowest rate rather than increasing to the long-distance rate that would normally apply based on the island’s geographic location.