The Listín Diario newspaper reported over the weekend several contradictions in the arguments being used by the Civil Aviation Board and the Corporation of State Enterprises (CORDE) to support the resolution that grants a monopoly to Dominicana Airlines for the next seven years. In order to make the state airline attractive for privatization, the CAB issued a freeze on other Dominican airlines flying to the US for the next seven years. The Listín Diario article, published in its El Domingo supplement, states that the resolution is flaky in its nature, as it is not substantiated even by a government decree. A subsequent CAB resolution could knock it. The CAB authorities have tried to defend the decision printing a list of all the Dominican airlines that supposedly have been authorized to fly the US-DR routes. Nevertheless, an investigation released by the Listín Diario shows that only Aeromar has valid rights to fly, as all the other airlines are either not flying these routes or have not requested permission to fly because of the ban on DR airline flights to the US as the country is kept in Category 3 by the FAA. El Domingo speculates that what may be on hand is the interest of a major debtor of Dominicana and aircraft provider, together with Fine Air of the US and the director of Dominicana Airlines who is a close friend of the technical director of Aeromar to bid for the airline’s frequencies, thus strengthening Aeromar once the US ban is lifted. The CAB monopoly for Dominicana Airlines has been criticized by the Council of Dominican Businesses (CONEP), the Association of Hotels & Restaurants (ASONAHORES), and Dominican airline businessmen who say it contradicts the modern spirit of competition that the privatization law itself promotes.
