The governments of the Dominican Republic and Panama signed an Open Skies agreement on 1 July that should strengthen linkages between the DR, Central and South America. Flights through Panama are already an alternative for those seeking to avoid the congestioned Miami International Airport, the traditional transfer point for Latin America. Making matters better, Copa Airlines is posting high on-time records, compared to unusually low on-time records for American Airlines, and the Miami connection.
The agreement is expected to stimulate more flights from South America to the DR. Civil Aviation Authority director of Panama, Eustacia Fabrega and Dominican Civil Aviation Board director Jose Luis Rodriguez Ariza signed for their respective countries. The agreement allows for unlimited exploitation of routes between Panama and the DR, both for non- stop flights and flights stopping at intermediate points.