WILLEMSTAD – Aircraft from Russia and North Korea are prohibited from flying through Curaçao’s airspace or landing on the island between August 20 and November 17, according to a bulletin issued by the local aviation authorities. 

The restriction applies to all planes operated, chartered, or registered in Russia or North Korea. The move follows economic sanctions imposed by the Netherlands on both countries, which Curaçao, as part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, is required to enforce. 

Minister of Traffic, Transportation, and Spatial Planning, Charles Cooper, explained that the Netherlands regularly introduces sanctions against certain countries, including economic restrictions and bans in the aviation and maritime sectors. “Curaçao cannot authorize cooperation or registration of Russian vessels or those from some other sanctioned countries,” he told the newspaper. 

The ban does not apply to emergency or humanitarian flights, provided prior approval is granted by Curaçao’s authorities.