Alejandro Herrera, director general of the Dominican Civil Aviation Board (IDAC) is optimistic the Dominican Republic will soon become a regional hub for air traffic between North America, Europe and Latin America. In an interview with Listin Diario, Herrera said that the Dominican Repblic already has the infrastructure in airports and air safety to receive the 10 million-tourist by 2022 target set by President Danilo Medina. Herrera says that the outlook is for international travel, now at 2.8 billion travelers, to continue to grow and double by 2030. Herrera said that the start of the Gol flight from Brazil is a significant step towards establishing the Dominican Republic as a regional hub. He said that Gol has carried out feasibility studies for a phased development of the project with the full backing of the Dominican government.
Gol begins flying to Santo Domingo’s Las Americas International Airport (SDQ) on 15 December from Rio de Janeiro (Galeao) and Sao Paulo (Guarulhos). Airline spokesman Mauricio Emboaba Moreira told the press that the flights are part of the company’s campaign to expand its presence in the region. The airline also will be flying to Orlando and Miami from SDQ.
The Dominican Republic is the Caribbean country with the most international open air agreements that facilitate airlines using the country as base.