European aviation groups have criticised the Dutch government¡¯s plans to increase its air passenger tax on departing flights, where fees for long-haul travel could reportedly reach up to €70 per ticket.

ACI Europe and Airlines for Europe (A4E) in a joint statement this week warned the move will ¡°undermine connectivity, hurt passengers and weaken investment in aviation decarbonisation¡±.

From 1 January 2026, the Dutch government reportedly plans to increase the air passenger tax by 2.9 per cent, which will see the current per ticket rate of €29.40 increase to €30.25, according to calculations by the Dutch Association of Travel Agents and Tour Operators (ANVR).

But further tax hikes set to take effect in 2027 were announced this week, potentially raising the fee for medium-haul flights to more than €47 per ticket, while long-haul flights may incur a tax of €70 per ticket, as reported by local media.

A4E managing director Ourania Georgoutsakou, said: ¡°Time and time again, these unjustified tax rises have been shown to serve neither the passenger nor the climate. It simply makes the Netherlands less attractive as a place for business and tourism: passengers continue to travel, but to another destination.¡±

KLM CEO Marjan Rintel also warned the move will make the Netherlands ¡°the most expensive country in the European Union for air travel¡±.

In a statement on Wednesday (17 September) Rintel said: ¡°The Netherlands is pricing itself out of the market. This puts pressure on our airline network and strikes at the heart of the Netherlands¡¯ global connectivity.¡±

Research commissioned by KLM and conducted by Markteffect indicates that since the Dutch flight tax was introduced in 2021, more Dutch travellers have chosen to drive to airports in neighbouring countries. The percentage of Dutch travellers departing from D¨¹sseldorf and Brussels increased by 41 per cent and 20 per cent, respectively, between 2019 and 2024, according to the findings.

Rintel said the tax increase ¡°undermines our ability to continue investing in cleaner and quieter aviation¡­ [since] not a single cent of the tax revenue is going toward making aviation more sustainable.¡±