No rapid test obligation for St Maarten and Antilles and safe countries. THE HAGUE (ANP) – The mandatory corona rapid test for travelers who want to come to the Netherlands by plane does not apply to the Antilles and nine other countries. The government has announced this.
These are Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao, St. Maarten, Saba, St. Eustatius, Iceland, Australia, Japan, New Zealand, Rwanda, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand and China. These are also the countries where no PCR testing obligation already applies.
The exemption would mean that KLM could continue to fly to those countries, because there is no risk that personnel would have to be left behind. This cannot yet be confirmed by KLM.
Exemption for other countries
Cabin trade union VNC wants the exemption for the crew to apply to other countries as well. The union has also emphatically reported this to the representatives in the Lower House.
KLM had previously reported that operating flights would become virtually impossible if a rapid test requirement were to apply to all destinations prior to the return flight to Schiphol. This is because there is a chance that employees would have to stay behind. KLM does not want to run that risk.
The question that still hangs over the market is whether KLM crew will receive an exemption for other regions. KLM is consulting with the RIVM about this. Minister Cora van Nieuwenhuizen (Infrastructure) had already said that exceptions are possible, provided they are safe.