WILLEMSTAD – TUI will launch direct flights between Düsseldorf and Curaçao next summer, further expanding air connectivity between Germany and the island and creating direct competition with Corendon on the route.
The airline plans to operate the service twice a week, on Mondays and Fridays, using a Boeing 787 Dreamliner from TUI Netherlands. A TUI spokesperson confirmed the plans to Dutch aviation publication Luchtvaartnieuws.
The new route is primarily aimed at attracting travelers from the German market, where Curaçao has been seeking to strengthen its position as a Caribbean destination. However, TUI also expects interest from Dutch travelers, particularly those living within convenient driving distance of Düsseldorf Airport.
Both package-holiday customers and travelers purchasing only an airline ticket will be able to use the service.
Tickets are not yet available. According to TUI, sales are expected to begin in October.
TUI had previously considered operating between Düsseldorf and Curaçao but abandoned those plans during the COVID-19 pandemic. The airline is now returning to the idea amid growing demand for direct connections between Germany and Curaçao.
The announcement also creates a new competitive situation on the route.
Corendon is scheduled to begin Düsseldorf-Curaçao flights this winter, operating three times per week. The company previously said it was introducing the route partly to expand its presence in Germany, where thousands of travelers already reach Curaçao through Amsterdam.
However, initial bookings for Corendon's service have shown particularly strong demand from the Netherlands. According to Corendon, approximately two-thirds of reservations for the new Düsseldorf flights have so far come from Dutch travelers.
Düsseldorf Airport is already widely used by residents of the eastern and southern Netherlands, making the airport an alternative to Amsterdam Schiphol for Curaçao-bound passengers.
With TUI entering the market next summer, Curaçao will have two leisure airlines offering direct service from Düsseldorf within a relatively short period.
The expansion could also support Curaçao's efforts to diversify its European tourism market beyond the Netherlands by making the island more directly accessible to German travelers.
TUI is simultaneously expanding elsewhere in its network, including a new connection between Amsterdam and Kilimanjaro in Tanzania.