KLM to continue Curaçao flights after U.S. military near-misses

WILLEMSTAD--KLM says it will keep operating its flights between Amsterdam and the Dutch Caribbean island nation of Curaçao, even after recent near-misses involving commercial aircraft and U.S. military planes in the area amid tensions between the United States and Venezuela. The airline said it is closely tracking developments and adding procedures, while politicians in Curaçao are calling on the Dutch government to step in. Curaçao, just north of the Venezuelan coast, has stressed that it wants to remain open and available for tourism.

Around this time of year KLM operates roughly a dozen flights weekly from Amsterdam to Curaçao, and about a dozen more on the return route. The carrier said it is adding extra security steps on the route, including additional lighting to improve visibility.

The concerns were heightened last week when the pilots of a JetBlue flight reported that a U.S. Air Force refueling aircraft passed them at their altitude, within about two to three miles. “They passed directly in our flight path. We had to stop our climb,” the cockpit of Jet Blue flight 1112 told air traffic control. “They don’t have their transponder turned on. It’s outrageous.”

In recent months, the U.S. government has carried out pre-emptive air strikes on ships in the region whose crews are suspected of drug trafficking. The JetBlue Airbus A320 had departed Willemstad’s Hato International Airport for New York’s Kennedy Airport and was climbing past 33,300 feet toward cruising altitude when the military aircraft passed at roughly 34,000 feet, according to the pilots. The controller responded that the military aircraft was also not visible on radar, adding: “Outrageous being an unidentified aircraft within our airspace. You are totally right, sir.”

Curaçao’s parliament responded Tuesday by approving two motions urging the Dutch Cabinet to provide military support to safeguard air traffic in the area, including better radar and tracking to detect “aircraft operating without an active transponder.” Lawmakers also want Curaçao, the Netherlands, Aruba, and St. Maarten to raise a joint diplomatic protest over how the U.S. is operating in the region, and are seeking greater transparency about “military operations in Curaçao’s territorial airspace.”

That political push contrasted with comments from Roderick Middelhof, Curaçao’s economic development minister, who also oversees political matters tied to tourism. He said Curaçao remains a “safe” destination for airlines and that the situation is being managed through appropriate international procedures and monitoring by authorities. “There are no safety issues affecting Curaçao’s airspace or airport operations,” he said.

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