Minister studies lower aviation tax for Eelde and Maastricht airports
Infrastructure minister Vincent Karremans is looking at cutting or scrapping the aviation tax for two regional airports, or at paying them state support, as passenger numbers stay far below 2019.
Infrastructure minister Vincent Karremans (VVD) is having two options studied for Groningen Airport Eelde and Maastricht Aachen Airport: a cut in or exemption from the aviation tax (vliegbelasting), and direct financial support for the airports.
Passenger numbers at both airports have not recovered. In 2025 Eelde had 41% fewer passengers than in 2019, the last year before the pandemic, and Maastricht Aachen had 68% fewer, the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management says.
The ministry's analysis names the tax as one factor in competition with other airports. In the analysis, the Dutch rate is €30.25 per passenger on flights up to 2,000 kilometres, against €13.03 in Germany and €10 in Belgium.
The Dutch aviation tax is the highest of the three countries
Euros per passenger
The Dutch aviation tax is the highest of the three countries (euros per passenger). Highest: Netherlands, 30.25; lowest: Belgium, 10; 3 items. Source: Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management.
View data
| Item | Euros per passenger |
|---|---|
| Netherlands | 30.25 |
| Germany | 13.03 |
| Belgium | 10 |
The ministry estimates that exempting both airports from the tax would cost €5m a year, and says no money is currently available for it. If the state gives aid, it must be checked whether European rules allow it. The cabinet is studying the options with the Ministry of Finance, which is responsible for the tax.
Separately, Suzanne Kröger (Pro), a member of the Tweede Kamer, asked the minister whether the €13m investment in access to the Eelde airport can still be justified, given that passenger numbers lag far behind and Lelystad Airport may open for holiday flights.
In his answer, Karremans said the Kamer made the money available through amendments, that it has been transferred to the province of Drenthe, and that the work is due to start next year.
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Tweede Kamer
The House of Representatives, the lower and more powerful house of the Dutch parliament. Its 150 members are elected directly; it can amend bills and holds the cabinet to account.
vliegbelasting
The aviation tax is a Dutch tax on passengers who take off from an airport in the Netherlands, paid per passenger through the airline. It is a national levy that goes to the state budget, and the amount depends on the flight's destination and distance. It matters in the news because changing or removing it is one way the government can make flying from Dutch regional airports cheaper and more attractive to airlines.