Dutch government cancels all holiday flights

NEWS RELEASE – 17 December 2020: Due to the coronavirus and the tightened measures, many holiday flights have been discontinued immediately. Minister Van Nieuwenhuizen of Infrastructure is coming up with additional measures.

Also read: KLM and Delta launch Covid-tested flights | Atlanta – Amsterdam

In recent days there have been long queues in the departure halls at Schiphol. It was very busy there, which was a thorn in the side of Minister Van Nieuwenhuizen. She said she was "disappointed and angry" about it.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has also put places such as the Canary Islands, Aruba and Bonaire on code orange. A few days earlier we reported about the changes to travel advice in Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao, that more TUI flights with code yellow were scheduled. However, this change was short-lived now that the Dutch government is calling a halt to all recreational flights.

With code yellow it is still allowed to go on holiday, but with code orange all non-essential trips are strongly discouraged. In most cases, you are also no longer insured by your travel insurer if you still go on holiday to code orange areas.

TUI

TUI no longer flies to both sun and snow destinations. The travel organization is forced to cancel all holiday trips this winter. Those who have already reached their destination can complete their holiday, TUI says. Holidaymakers are simply picked up.

Also read: Holiday giant TUI receives financial emergency package of € 1,8 billion

Corendon

Corendon also stops flying holidays. “We are going into hibernation,” says CEO Steven van der Heijden. “Of course we will still pick up the holidaymakers, but not early. They can just finish their vacation.” Corendon currently has about fifteen hundred travelers on Curaçao, Bonaire and the Canary Islands.

Sunweb

Sunweb has already announced that it will contact travelers who are still in destinations such as the Canary Islands, to ask whether they want to return earlier.

"We assume that this means that no trips can be booked with a departure before mid-March," says the ANVR.

KLM

Airlines KLM released Wednesday know not yet immediately change the flight schedule in response to the orange travel advice. KLM indicated that lower demand could lead to fewer flights being offered.

Traveler statement required

Op the website The Ministry of Foreign Affairs advises not to book holiday trips until mid-March. Minister van Nieuwenhuizen says: "In any case, I am investigating whether it is possible to introduce a statement in which travelers indicate whether it concerns a necessary trip". This requirement is expected to be introduced early next year.