After 37 years of operating direct flights from the United States to several Dominican destinations, American Airlines has announced that starting on 2 April they will cease direct flights from New York to Santiago and Santo Domingo. The announcement has caused concern among employees at the Las Americas International Airport in Santo Domingo and the Cibao International Airport in Santiago, as well as hundreds of thousands of Dominicans who traditionally use the services of this airline.
A press release from the airline’s local office explains that they will continue serving the market through their Miami hub. For the last eight years the company has been taking measures aimed at reducing personnel and they have sub-contracted the ramp and baggage services to local companies. These measures reduce their responsibilities towards the personnel. Their direct flights to the Las Americas and Cibao airports were the only ones the airline operated direct from New York, after announcing the cancellation of several routes about two years ago. They reported that passengers who had booked and reserved flights on the affected routes would be notified over the next few days.