Work to cover up the Duquesa garbage dump in order to prepare the way to open Joaquin Balaguer International Airport (formerly Higuero and La Isabela) for air traffic is advancing. El Caribe newspaper reports that in less than a week contractors have covered 70,000 square meters of the dump. The newspaper reports that the cover up could be completed in two months time.
The US Federal Aviation Agency has not yet certified the airport for foreign traffic primarily due to the airport having been built adjacent to the garbage dump and to La Isabela River, habitat to thousands of birds. It is most likely that the airport would open to domestic traffic, while efforts would continue to secure the FAA certification.
The relocation of the domestic airline companies would make possible the closing of Herrera International Airport in Santo Domingo, even though the international flights that operate out of this airport would have to be sent to Las Americas International Airport.
Prior to leaving government in 2000, President Leonel Fernandez had committed the ground where Herrera International is located to engineering firms that the government still owed money for the expansion of the Duarte Highway. These firms are participating in the cover up in order to take possession of the lands, a move that has been contingent to the opening of the new airport.
The new airport has suffered from problems since the start. The Fernandez government and then Minister of Public Works Diandino Pena (today Metro Minister) decided to go ahead with its construction despite technicians mentioning the inadequate terrain and its location near a garbage dump and natural habitat of birds. As a result the airport has cost around triple what La Romana and Santiago international airport, two privately-built airports have cost that are today in operation for domestic and international flights.