The president of the Aeropuerto Internacional del Cibao, Carlos Sully Fondeur, forecasts the new terminal will move 110,000 passengers in its first year of operations. Santiago investors are putting RD$450 million into the terminal, seeking to cater to the area’s cargo and passenger needs. The airport is scheduled for a November opening. Sully said 70% of Dominican air cargo operations carry cargo that originates in Cibao. The Cibao is the center of major cigar and other free zone manufacturing operations. In addition, there are bulk cargo operations to transport perishable flowers and vegetables. Moreover, the airport feasibility study showed that 68% of Dominican residents in the US are from the Cibao area. He said the terminal has capacity to handle 400,000 passengers a year and 80 flights a day. The airport will be privately managed, but the government will provide control tower, customs, and aviation safety services. The airport was built on a 2,700 tarea piece of land or approximately 1.7 million square meters. The investors envision spending an additional RD$150 million to expand the runway for wide body airplanes. Sully said the Mejia government has committed to build a 2.6 kilometer four-lane access road that would link up with the Duarte Highway. (29 May 2001)
