KLM keeps flying to the Dutch Caribbean

Luchtvaartnieuws.nl reports today that it seems that KLM does not have to cancel all its long-haul flights: for travelers from the Netherlands Antilles and nine ‘safe’ countries, there will be an exception to the rapid test obligation before departure to the Netherlands.

The cabinet caused confusion earlier this week but has now clarified it. The rapid test obligation does not apply to travelers (and crew) from Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao, Sint-Maarten, Saba, Sint-Eustatius, Iceland, Australia, Japan, New Zealand, Rwanda, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, and China. These are the countries that do not require a PCR test.

Therefore, it seems that KLM can continue to fly to these countries because there is no risk that crew members will have to be left behind as a consequence of a positive express-test. A KLM spokesman could not confirm this to this site: he expects the airline to be able to announce more about this later today.

In the meantime, the aviation industry is still lobbying hard to introduce an exception to the express testing obligation for the crew for flights from all countries. Otherwise, KLM will still have to cancel a large part of its long-haul flights. Minister Van Nieuwenhuizen says that she is fine with KLM negotiating an alternative approach in consultation with the RIVM, provided that this is really safe.

Luchtvaartnieuws.nl