The Civil Aviation Board (JAC) has announced that Pawa Dominicana has begun to pay back more than RD$230 million to passengers who had bought tickets. Pawa flights were suspended for a debt of more than US$3 million in airport taxes among other debts.
According to estimations, the suspension will affect around 12,000 passengers up to the end of February with an average ticket price of US$400. Pawa is calling for the Dominican authorities to reconsider their decision. The JAC confirmed that Pawa has ten days to present a formal request for reconsideration of their suspension including why they have not paid the airport fees.
According to Elena Rodriguez, head of communications at Pawa, said that the suspension should not have happened. Rodriguez said that the time for the refund would depend on the method of payment used but that they would try and do it as quickly as possible. The company said that they would start to give back the money to the clients who should make their claims by calling 829-735-0300, or email to reembolso@pawadominicana.com
Pawa is the only Dominican airline that had been carrying out regular international flights. The airline had received its operation license in 2007. It had regular flights to seven destinations including Miami, Havana, Curacao, San Juan, Puerto Rico and Aruba, with around 100 flights a week. The airline was seriously impacted when Caribbean destinations it served were seriously affected by hurricanes Irma and Maria.
JAC had pitched in and leased airplanes to transport weekend passengers to least served destinations. Around 500 passengers benefited with flights to Aruba, Curacao and Cuba. But it has stated, that now it is up to Pawa to reimburse its paying customers.
Read more in Spanish:
PAWA
El Dia
Listin Diario
Diario Libre
31 January 2018
