KLM to continue Curaçao flights; Island wants gov’t help after U.S. military near-misses

Dutch airline KLM will continue flying to the Dutch Caribbean island nation of Curaçao, despite recent near-misses involving commercial aircraft and American military aircraft in the area amid tensions between the U.S. and Venezuela. KLM said it was closely monitoring the situation, and implementing more procedures, while politicians in Curaçao want the Dutch government to take action. The island north of the Venezuelan coast wants to remain open and available for tourism.

KLM flies about a dozen flights from Amsterdam to Curaçao every week this time of year, and a dozen more in the opposite direction. The Dutch airline said it is implementing additional security measures for its own flights on the route, including additional lighting for improved visibility.

Last week, the pilots of a Jet Blue flight reported a U.S. Air Force refueling plane passed them at their altitude within a distance of about two or three miles. “They passed directly in our flight path. We had to stop our climb,” the cockpit of Jet Blue flight 1112 said in a transmission to air traffic control. “They don’t have their transponder turned on. It’s outrageous.”

In recent months, the American government has carried out pre-emptive air strikes on ships in the region with crews suspected of involvement in drug trafficking. The Jet Blue Airbus A320 flight had just departed Willemstad Hato International Airport on it’s way to Kennedy Airport in New York, and was climbing past 33,300 feet on its way to its cruising altitude.

The military aircraft passed at roughly 34,000 feet, the pilots said. The air traffic controller responded that he also could not see the military aircraft on radar. “Outrageous being an unidentified aircraft within our airspace. You are totally right, sir.”

Parliament in Curaçao passed two motions on Tuesday asking the Dutch Cabinet to provide military assistance to protect air traffic in the area. This includes improved radar and tracking capabilities to detect “aircraft operating without an active transponder.”

Further, the island’s parliamentarians want Curaçao, the Netherlands, Aruba, and Sint Maarten to jointly use diplomatic means to protest how the U.S. is operating in the region. Curaçao wants more transparency regarding “military operations in Curaçao’s territorial airspace.”

The political response was at odds with a statement put out by Roderick Middelhof, the island’s economic development minister who also handles political issues related to tourism. Curaçao is still a “safe” destination for airlines, he said, saying the situation is being handled with proper international procedures and monitoring by authorities.

“There are no safety issues affecting Curaçao’s airspace or airport operations,” he said.