Aviation News – Two near-collisions in recent days have raised serious concerns about flight safety in the airspace over Curaçao, after U.S. military aircraft were reported operating without active transponders.
The most recent incident occurred Friday, when a JetBlue passenger flight bound for New York was forced to halt its climb shortly after departing Curaçao after a USAF Boeing KC-46A Pegasus military refueling aircraft suddenly appeared nearby. A day later, a private jet departing Aruba encountered a large aircraft at close range and had to change course. Flight tracking service Flightradar24 later reviewed the data and confirmed the private aircraft, a Falcon 900, had “likely encountered something unexpected.”
According to aviation experts, transponders act as a critical safety bolt in modern air traffic management, allowing aircraft to be visible to pilots and controllers. When military aircraft operate with transponders switched off, they may not appear on civilian radar systems, increasing the risk of mid-air conflicts in busy commercial corridors.
“This is unprecedented,” the JetBlue pilot said in audio recordings from the cockpit, describing the sudden encounter and expressing alarm over the situation.
The incidents have prompted renewed calls for clarity on whether the airspace around Curaçao remains safe for civilian operations. Aviation stakeholders are urging authorities to quickly assess procedures governing military flights in shared airspace and ensure transparency for commercial operators.
While no collision occurred, the close calls highlight the fragile balance between military activity and civilian aviation in the region. Without clearer coordination and consistent use of safety systems, pilots warn that the risk of a serious incident could increase.
Photo Rob Vogelaar
