Samana's New, NEW Airport

As reported by me on Samana.Net over 6 weeks ago, Samana's new international airport is to be located near the village of El Catey and not at Arroyo Barril as planned. DESPITE today's official announcement by Aerodom, the airport has been quietly under construction, also for over 6 weeks. Pictures of the construction taken shortly after groundbreaking may be found in the What's New section of Samana.Net.
Although the new location comes as still another blow to the people of Samana, it will undoubtedly benefit more the Nagua area and other points west on the North Coast and further impede development of the Samana Peninsula along with it's "fragile ecosystem" and it's equally "fragile" economy.
Using a "fragile ecosystem" designation as an excuse to impede development is pure, unadultrated HOGWASH. Responsible development and fragile ecosystems can go hand in hand and in fact, benefit conservation efforts as awareness of and subsequent protection of the environment is elevated to a stature of importance.
As quoted from today's news: "Meanwhile, not having an airport has been a bonus for nature lovers that today enjoy the many small inns and hotels that dot the province."
It may be enjoyable for them, but it's been a MAJOR HARDSHIP on the owners of these "small inns and hotels" as they struggle to make ends meet (my small property included, 14 years of waiting for our ship to come in and finally make a decent living). I speak to these owners every day and there isn't hardly ONE of them who doesn't want to sell out right now. They're simply tired of hollow promises. Also under duress are the people of this province who have very little chance for employment in all the wonderful "small inns and hotels," many of which, by necessity, are no more than "mom and pop" operations.
Lest someone think I'm proposing giant A-1 All-inclusives be built to employ thousands, I'm not. But with a decent economy brought about by an international airport in close proximity, OUR Arroyo Barril International Airport as promised by President Balaguer in 1988 and the basis for a lot of subsequent investment in the Samana area, more people will have the opportunity to be employed, still in the "small inns and hotels" as then the owners will have enough income to hire that extra person or two so desperatly needed but not currently affordable.

I have some sympathy for Andy, knowing he runs a small tourist inn, and knowing that the last 14 years have not been easy in Samana due to delays in the development of service facilities for tourism, most especially an airport. (Until a few months ago when I moved to a condo in Sosua, I lived in Samana since 1986.) However, I believe he is overstating the consequences of locating the international airport that will serve Samana Peninsula west of Sanchez. Putting the airport 25-30 miles from the present airport site is not going to keep tourists from enjoying the hotels on either the Samana or Las Terrenas side of the Peninsula, nor is it going to turn Sanchez into a tourism center for the area. 25-30 miles is NOT a barrier, we are talking about travel time of less than one hour. Traveling 3-4 hours to the Puerto Plata airport, or 4-5 to the Santo Domingo airport is one thing; traveling 45 minutes to a Samana or Las Terrenas hotel is quite another. Consider also the location of the beaches, the magnet that draws so many tourists. There are none in Sanchez, and the beach front property in the Nagua area is no more than a narrow strip of shoreline bounded by the ocean and the highway. It is not an area conducive to major tourism, certainly no where near as desirable as Las Galeras, where Andy has his inn, or Las Terrenas, especially considering that the "second class" beaches in the Nagua area will be about the same distance from the airport as the "first class" beaches on either side of the Samana Peninsuala. What Samana needs is people coming to the area for vacation, and for that they need an airport much closer than either the Puerto Plata or Santo Domingo facilities. Putting the airport west of Sanchez, and flying in international air carriers will bring the people to within 25-30 miles of the hotels and vans/buses from the hotels and private owners can carry them the rest of the way. IF 25-30 MILES OF TRAVEL FROM HOTEL TO AIRPORT WAS SUCH A BARRIER, WHY ARE THERE SO MANY HOTELS IN CABARETE? Regarding the ecosystem, I believe that one of the reasons why people will come to Samana in larger numbers once the airport is completed is the beauty of the area. If every square meter is filled with hotels, as it is in some areas, there is little to recommend it over the other tourist zones. Therefore, even though an international airport within 25-30 miles is sure to stimulate interest in hotel construction, I hope that this is controlled. Samana needs more development and has the ability to support more tourism, but it also needs to protect its beaches, its always-green hills and mountains, and the many other scenic vistas that make Samana special. Build the airport in the proposed site west of Sosua, let the planes landing and taking off fly over Sanchez instead of Samana, fill the hotels in Samana and Las Terrenas with travelers arriving by air to the new area airport, but PLEASE DON'T PAVE SAMANA PENINSULA WITH HOTEL PARKING LOTS.

CORRECTION: I misspoke when I said "build the airport west of Sosua." My last sentence should have read: Build the airport in the proposed site west of Sanchez, let the planes landing and taking off fly over Sanchez instead of Samana, fill the hotels in Samana and Las Terrenas with travelers arriving by air to the new airport, but PLEASE DON'T PAVE sAMANA PENINSULA WITH HOTEL PARKING LOTS.

Hi Ken,

You make an eloquent argument for the new location. However, let me correct a few of your misconceptions:
1. Las Galeras is almost 1 and 1/2 hours from the new site. I know, I've timed it twice. In just double that time I can drive to Puerto Plata's Luperon Airport.
2. Nagua may only have a narrow strip between the ocean beach and the highway, but there's MILES of land available for development on the other side (along with miles of beach).
3. Caberete is where it is because of wind patterns for windsurfing. It is also only about 20 minutes east of Puerto Plata's airport.
4. Nagua is only 15 minutes west of the new site just west of El Catey. I've timed that distance, too. They finally got the airport they wanted after fighting Samana all these years.
5. Nobody's going to pave over Samana with giant parking lots for big resorts such as in Punta Cana. Fact is with the new ecological law being ratified in a few weeks, you won't see a lot of future large-scale development on the peninsula, other than what's already been approved.
6. The take-off pattern from Arroyo Barril necessitates that planes bank to the south away from the city of Samana and pass by out over the bay. Noise will be a minimum factor.
7. Future growth will not be in Sanchez as you point out, but at the north and eastern ends of the peninsula. Put the airport as close to where the people will be 20 years from now, NOT where they are today.
8. And finally, if Aerodom is not willing to meet their contractural agreement and finish Arroyo Barril as they proposed, perhaps it's time for the current government to renegotiate the contract. A few more years to renegotiate won't matter to us foreign investors and the people of the peninsula as we're used to starving.

I personally think that there are many in Samana who are making a mistake thinking about wide-body jets coming to Arroyo Barril. I don't think it is going to happen. More realistic and immediately doable is to press for the present Samana airport to be opened to American Eagle and other regional airlines. For example, I have heard there is a Venezuelan company that would fly 50-60 passenger planes to Samana. And I am sure there are others who would do likewise.

However, it may be that the runway needs another 500 feet to accommodate American Eagle and the other regional flights. At least this is what I have been told. I think this should be checked out, and if it is the case, then I believe that is where the pressure should be applied.

In the Caribbean, it is very common for tourists to fly to Puerto Rico, then transfer to a small regional carrier. I have been on every island and know that this is how most get the people for their hotels. With the exception of St Martin, there are very few international flights that go direct to any of the islands. Most depend on people coming from San Juan on regional carriers.

Regarding Nagua, sure there are miles of beach. But NOTHING that compares to the Samana area. The other side of the highway is flat, swampy, and lacking in character. Nothing like the hills and mountains and other vistas that make the Samana area special.

Additionally, I think Samana should be pushing for upscale tourists, not these wide-body jets that are full of people on all-included tours. They do nothing for the area. Hotels have to run at full occupancy in order to break even. Far better, I think, to hold down the number of hotels, make it possible to fly direct to Samana from Puerto Rico, and set your sights on upscale tourists. I think there is great potential for Samana in this area of tourism. There are already too many hotels in the country for the low to mid-level of the tourist market.

Now that the government has announced its agreement with the company that has the airport contract, i.e., that the "big" airport should be located west of Sanchez, the people of Samana should fight hard for the opening of the Samana airport to American Eagle and other regional carriers. I think that chances of getting this would be good, if the people stopped moaning about wide-body jets and focused on what the already have and what, if anything, must still be done to make it a true asset to the area. Why don't you organize a group to contact American Eagle to determine what needs to be done to make it possible for them to offer regular service to Samana from San Juan?

Most flights go to PR? American Maybe. There are direct flights to Antigua, Cuba, Jamaica, trinidad, Aruba, Cancun, cozumel, Caymans.

About the only transfers through San Juan are American Eagle

Hi Tom,

Not to put words in Ken's mouth, but I think what he is saying is that most passengers (aside from the chartered ones) that travel to the Caribbean still depend on smaller, inter-island planes for travelling, even when they first arrive in wide-body jets (mostly in PR). AA does have a stronghold (read monopoly) in the commercial travel market to the Caribbean and unfortunately, this airline is hard to avoid ;-) I think he is advocating smaller jets such as AEagle to fly to Arrollo Barril. Although I can see Andy's point, I personally believe the idea of reaching to AEagle is a great one. I think Samana should develop its tourism industry, but I don't really want to see the big charter flight landing there either. Take for example Ocho Rios in Jamaica: it has no airport and people have to fly to either Montego Bay or even Kingston. Tourists take the 1 1/2 hour bus trip from MoBay to Ocho Rios - they complain, but they go anyway...in hordes! Other destinations in the Caribbean are even harder to reach, but tourists go anyway, from Virgin Gorda (some people even choose to take the ferries) to the Grenadines, one cannot avoid having to take a smaller plane such as AEagle or BWIA to reach almost all of the islands. Sure, it may a bit unfair to comapare certain island destinations to the DR, but I think the country, and specifically Samana, should indeed focus on more upscale tourism. I agree with this point wholeheartedly.

Regards,
Natasha

Brit Air flies 747's to Antigua. Cont flies 72 and 73's to the DR, and 75's to Antigua. Various wide bodies are flown to multiple Caribbean Islands

Re: I give up Tom LOL

Yes, and I am also aware that big planes also land in Aruba, Barbados, Jamaica, the USVI and others. I have not been to all the islands of the Caribbean (only to about 11), but for some reason I always end up having to take one of those AEagle planes when I go to the smaller islands (poor planning on my part LOL?)

I think Ken's message makes a lot of sense, specially now that the airport's relocation IS official. I think his suggestions are sound. Just my opinion.

Regards,
Natasha

Almost 2 years ago it was common knowledge around here that American Eagle was to start flying a Miami-Samana-San Juan (and return) route as soon as the new airport opened. Even just that news was cause to celebrate that even though we wouldn't be full international we would have some foreign flights as a regional/international airport. Even that has fizzled as we have been led down the rosy path again. Its been open over a year and for all the money poured into Arroyo Barril, it has only one scheduled carrier, Air Santo Domingo. And I hear that even if they don't have enough passengers, they cancel the run.

Re: I give up Tom LOL

It appears we are on two different topics. Ken said "no wide bodies land in the DR" and I simply stated differently. I don't know what Samana would do with 5-6 500 passenger 47's landing each day. You not only need the runway of 11000', but the gates and ground facilities to service them

I remember staying at the Royal Antiguan in St John and having BA 747's go by my hotel room window