WILLEMSTAD – A serious aviation safety incident has once again occurred in the airspace above Curaçao, where a civilian aircraft and a military aircraft came dangerously close to one another. Audio recordings from air traffic control indicate that during takeoff, the flight crew unexpectedly turned toward other air traffic while it was unclear at what altitude that aircraft was operating.
Air traffic controllers intervened immediately, issuing instructions to turn away and increase separation. Controllers also warned of a third aircraft flying at close range behind the departing plane. One of the pilots can be heard reacting with alarm, stating that the other aircraft was “very close” and that the climb appeared to be heading directly toward it.
The incident took place shortly after an earlier near-collision in the same airspace, which also involved a military tanker aircraft. That previous incident concerned a JetBlue Airbus A320. In both cases, no automatic collision avoidance warning systems were activated, raising additional concerns among aviation professionals.
According to the flight crew, the aircraft involved this time appeared to be a large plane, possibly a wide-body aircraft. While the United States Air Force does not operate Boeing 777 aircraft, it does operate the KC-46 aerial refueling tanker, which is based on the Boeing 767 platform. Aviation experts consider it plausible that this type of military aircraft was involved.
The incidents are occurring amid heightened U.S. military activity in the Caribbean region related to tensions surrounding Venezuela. These operations have led to an increase in non-routine military air traffic, which is not always fully visible or identifiable to civilian air traffic control systems.
Earlier, the Curaçao Civil Aviation Authority had already warned airlines about unidentified air traffic in the airspace around Aruba, Curaçao, and Bonaire, urging pilots to exercise extra caution during approach and departure. It remains unclear whether the most recent incident has been formally reported as an aviation safety occurrence. Air traffic control authorities have so far not provided a substantive response.