Think Aruba is Not Being affected by the decline in Tourism? Ask KLM Airlines.

A constant decline in tourism creates a need in the air travel industry to rethink the size of the aircraft needed and the frequency of trips. Thus is the recent decision by KLM in their flights to Aruba. They refer to such events as “changing market conditions.” The continued one year decline in tourism to Aruba can certainly be called … changing market conditions.

KLM will adjust its service to the Netherlands Antilles and Aruba over the next year in response to what it called “changing market conditions.” From summer 2007, all flights will be aboard MD-11s instead of the present mixed fleet of 426-seat 747-400s and 282-seat MD-11s. The MD-11s will be “radically modernized” in the coming months to bring the product in line with the World Business Class and economy class standards of KLM’s new 777s and A330s. Frequencies will be reduced. Aruba will be served four-times-weekly, twice in combination with Bonaire and twice with St. Maarten. Bonaire also will be served five-times-weekly to and from Ecuador. Daily flights to Curacao will be nonstop.

(ATW Daily News)

Not only are the planes being used to travel to Aruba reduced in seat capacity by 144 seats, the frequency of flights will be reduced as well. Maybe Aruba wants to ask itself what caused this “changing market condition”? Can you say … Natalee Holloway. Can you say Aruba’s continued refusal to handle this matter properly?