WILLEMSTAD – The new Corendon service between Schiphol and Curaçao is a resounding success with an occupancy rate of 97 percent, as reported by departing CEO Steven van der Heijden on reisbizz.nl.

The tour operator, flying to Curaçao with a leased Airbus A350-900 from World2Fly since early November, is no longer reliant on KLM for transportation to the hotels on the island.

This success on long-haul flights has inspired Corendon to possibly build its own widebody fleet in the future, considering both the Boeing 787 and the Airbus A330neo. Van der Heijden emphasizes that such a decision must be carefully considered. Even after stepping down as CEO, he will continue to advocate for such strategic decisions at Corendon.

Furthermore, Corendon is currently not in discussions about a merger or acquisition. In 2019, there were plans for a merger between Sunweb and Corendon under the leadership of venture capitalist Triton, but this deal was never concluded. Van der Heijden now sees Sunweb as a thing of the past.

Meanwhile, Corendon has announced the need for investors to finance new hotel projects, such as the recently opened The Rif at Mangrove Beach in Curaçao. The company has already invested over 150 million euros in resorts on the island and looks forward to further expansion in other attractive year-round destinations.

The flights to Curaçao with the A350 wet lease are a crucial part of this growth strategy, given the high occupancy rates and good margins. These developments promise a positive future for Corendon and tourism in Curaçao.

Bron: Curacao Chronicle