Netherlands to lower long-haul flight tax from 2027

The Dutch government plans to reduce the proposed increase for long-haul flight taxes starting January 1, 2027. Leaked budget documents suggest the tax for flights over 5,500 kilometers will be set at €59 per passenger, down from a previously planned €70.86. This adjustment aims to improve the competitive position of Dutch airports against neighboring Germany, where long-haul taxes are similar. The change is expected to cost the Dutch treasury approximately €61 million in annual revenue.

However, the Board of Airline Representatives in the Netherlands (BARIN) has criticized the move as a ‘half-hearted solution’. BARIN Chairman Marnix Fruitema argued that while the long-haul rate is being adjusted, significant tax disparities remain for short and medium-haul flights compared to Germany and Belgium. Fruitema noted that these discrepancies continue to create an uneven playing field, potentially driving travelers to use airports in Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, or Brussels, which impacts both Schiphol and regional airports like Eindhoven and Groningen Eelde.