Two serious near mid-air collision incidents were reported over the weekend in Caribbean airspace controlled by Curaçao Air Traffic Control (ATC). Both incidents involved U.S. military aircraft flying without activated transponders, creating significant safety risks for civilian aviation. The incidents occurred in airspace north of Aruba and Curaçao and were not related to Venezuelan airspace, despite an active FAA NOTAM for the region.
Friday Incident: JetBlue Flight Avoids Collision After Takeoff From Curaçao
On Friday, December 12, 2025, a JetBlue Airways pilot narrowly avoided a mid-air collision with a U.S. Air Force KC-46 Air Tanker shortly after departing Curaçao International Airport.
JetBlue flight B6-1112, operated by an Airbus A320, departed at 4:38 p.m. en route to JFK Airport in New York. After takeoff, the aircraft turned northbound and was cleared by Curaçao ATC to climb to 35,000 feet. Before reaching that altitude, the flight crew visually detected another aircraft crossing directly in their flight path at approximately five miles distance—an extremely dangerous proximity given the speed of both aircraft.
The JetBlue captain immediately initiated a descent to avoid collision and contacted Curaçao ATC, reporting that a KC-46 U.S. Air Force refueling aircraft had crossed their trajectory at the same altitude. According to the pilot, the military aircraft was traveling northeast toward Venezuelan airspace.
Curaçao ATC informed the crew that they had no radar contact with the military aircraft. The JetBlue captain also reported that the military aircraft’s transponder was turned off, preventing early detection and collision alerts.
“There was almost a mid-air collision here,” the pilot stated in ATC recordings. “They crossed directly in front of us. No transponder—this is unacceptable.”
JetBlue later confirmed that the incident was formally reported to U.S. federal aviation authorities and that the airline will cooperate fully with any investigation.
Saturday Incident: Private Jet From Aruba Faces Similar Danger
A second near-collision occurred on Saturday, December 13, 2025, during the morning hours. A Dassault Falcon 900 EX private jet, which had departed from Aruba, was flying northbound over the Jamanota area when the crew suddenly encountered a large military aircraft crossing their flight path.
The pilots immediately turned sharply to the right to avoid a collision. They later reported passing extremely close to what they identified as another KC-46 U.S. Air Force Air Tanker.
As with the previous day’s incident, Air Traffic Control had no indication of military aircraft operating in the area, again due to the absence of an active transponder on the military plane.
FAA NOTAM and Regional Safety Concerns
Although the incidents did not occur in Venezuelan airspace, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) currently has an active NOTAM advising pilots to exercise “extreme caution” when flying in and near Venezuelan airspace, including surrounding regions such as Aruba, Curaçao, and Bonaire, through the end of the month.
These incidents raise serious concerns about aviation safety and coordination between military and civilian air traffic operations in the Caribbean region.
Photo Credits : https://diario.aw/categories/noticia/general/avion-priva-por-poco-a-dal-den-avion-militar-panort-di-aruba
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