Down With National Carriers!
2008
The continuing story of KLM's West-Indisch Bedrijf after it was taken over by the Antillean government as ALM Antillean Airlines, changed to DCA Dutch Caribbean Airlines, finally bankrupted before another change to Curaçao Air Lines. The struggle that followed for control of the market.
2004
2005
2006
2007
Curaçao Hato Airport
February 2008
After about 30 years since Aruba's status aparte, finally FOL minister Adriaensz and his Aruba colleague Briesen are re-negotiating air traffic between Curaçao and Aruba. All those decennia, we (which includes Arubians) have been paying airport taxes for international connections, which presently on a 20-30 minutes flight works out at a total of $69.76. Reducing the tariff to domestic would mean a total of US$20.
Let us hope the same tariff will apply to all those other Netherlands Antillean islands that, formally, may be called "foreign" in a while.
There are also talks about an "open skies" policy between Aruba and what now still is the Netherlands Antilles. However, Tiara Air, while saying they support the existing agreement between Aruba, Holland and the USA, do not want any with their own neighbors. Tiara claims 25 groups have been trying to start an airline since the demise of DCA, Air Aruba and Avia Air. Tiara claims an occupation of 51% and, with a second prop-jet recently acquired by InselAir, the number of inter-island flights will become too large with an expected 71 flights weekly by DAE and InselAir, plus 13 by Tiara.
Maybe they should consider lowering their prices and thus attracting more passengers. An acceptable occupation rate is about 70%; if Tiara can make it on 51% their (and the others') prices are way too high; about 5 times the rate CUR-SXM, very expensive in itself already. If Tiara complains the open skies "would not be advantageous for our economic development" they are speaking strictly for themselves.
April 2008
Alterra is now negotiating with A-Port consortium, consisting of partners from Chile (IDC), Brazil (Camargo Correa) and Switzerland (Unique, Zürich Airport). Not all of these have a great name. Five years ago Alterra signed a 30-year agreement to run the airport, and would need the island's permission to sell shares.
Insiders claim that the front of the building may look great (not everybody agrees), but that Alterra's maintenance at the platform side now is virtually non-existing: "Alterra does nothing anymore."
This while March was an all-time top month for Hato airport. Truth be told, this was caused for 65% by Venezuelans who, lusting for Yankee Dollar$ arrive in droves to visit our ATMs. Still, many other destinations show an upward trend.
Too bad for our government, who stealthily raised the transito-tax rate there are no transit passenghers at all any more: KLM simply canceled all Curaçao stop-over flights.
Bonaire Flamingo Airport has more troubles of its own. After all the Bonaire and Antillean money flung to that project, nothing is coming back. Now Holland is looking into the necessity of upgrading the airport, which has "serious shortcomings": State of runway, level of fire fighting, safety areas around runway and lack of facilities to tow large aircraft. Not to worry folks, it's not urgent, even if short-term measures are needed to give an "extra" safety guarantee.
Understandably, Curaçao has no interest in putting up money for that, especially since Bonaire will be part of Holland very soon anyway. Says staaatssecretaris Bijleveld "orderliness and control in island were absolutely insufficient which entails violations of good financial management."
The maintenance costs to bring the "worn" runway up to date are estimated at ANG45M, 6 times of 2002 costs.
All Antillean airports have been checked by the EEC, and are "just acceptable" (while they do comply with Icao standards.) Bonaire (and presumably Saba and St.Eustatius)will have to comply with EEC standards when becoming part of Holland in the near future.
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