Dutch travelers fear higher air travel tax will make flying unaffordable

Two thirds of Dutch travelers are concerned that air travel from the Netherlands will become too expensive if the country’s air travel tax continues to rise. In addition, 71% believe air travel should remain accessible for people on lower incomes.

Main findings
- Traveler concerns: Two-thirds of Dutch travelers fear flying will become unaffordable if taxes keep rising.
- Accessibility issue: 71% believe air travel should remain accessible for lower-income households.
- Tax increase: By 2027, the Dutch air travel tax on long-haul flights will rise from ~€30 to €72 per ticket — a 140% increase.
- Regional disparity: A family of four flying to Turkey could pay €190 in taxes from the Netherlands, versus only ~€40 from Belgium.

Industry response
- ANVR campaign: The Dutch travel association, together with TUI, Corendon, Transavia, and KLM, launched gelijkevliegtaks.eu to push for fairer taxation.
- KLM’s position: CEO Marjan Rintel warns that travelers may shift to airports in neighboring countries, undermining both Dutch tourism and climate goals.

Broader implications
- Economic: Higher costs could reduce demand, hurt airlines, and impact tourism-dependent businesses.
- Social: Vacations risk becoming a privilege for wealthier households, widening inequality.
- Policy: The industry argues for EU-wide coordination to avoid competitive disadvantages and “tax shopping” across borders.

This debate is really about balancing sustainability with fairness. The Dutch government wants to cut emissions, but travelers and airlines argue that unilateral tax hikes risk pricing ordinary people out of flying while failing to achieve climate benefits if passengers simply depart from Belgium or Germany instead.