Business travel costs remain under pressure, and organisations flying from the Netherlands will need to factor another change into their 2027 travel budgets.
From 1 January 2027, the Dutch government plans to replace the current flat flight tax with a distance-based system. Passengers would pay €31.04 for flights under 2,000 kilometres, €49.87 for flights between 2,000 and 5,500 kilometres and €59.43 for flights over 5,500 kilometres.
For organisations with frequent medium and long-haul travel, the impact will be more noticeable. But the tax increase is only one part of a broader cost picture.
A broader cost challenge
Airfares have remained relatively high and volatile throughout 2026, influenced by capacity, fuel costs, operating expenses and changing route availability.
For travel managers, this makes visibility over booking behaviour, policy compliance and route choices increasingly important.
As Marjan van Vliet, Head of Account Management Benelux at ATPI, previously highlighted, organisations should not wait for the market to return to how it was.
“Look beyond the price of an individual ticket,” Marjan says. “Where are people booking? When are they booking? Is the travel policy being followed?”
Focus on what you can influence
The proposed tax changes underline the importance of actively managing the entire travel programme rather than focusing only on individual ticket prices.
Fare movements, booking timing, route choice, airline agreements and traveller behaviour can all have a significant impact on total trip cost.
For organisations planning their 2027 travel budgets, now is a good time to review booking patterns, travel policy and programme performance. Understanding where costs arise and where behaviour can be influenced will help businesses stay in control as the market continues to evolve.
Skip to content
