According to the director of the Airport Authority, Marino Collante, during this year they are proposing to build two new heliports, one in Santo Domingo East and the other in Barahona.
The one in Santo Domingo East will be on the Caribbean Sea coastline-fronting Avenida España near the National Aquarium. This would facilitate helicopter tours to the area where the Columbus Lighthouse and Los Tres Ojos cave site are located close to each other. The heliport is also near the Dario Contreras Trauma Hospital, the leading trauma public hospital in Greater Santo Domingo.
Collante said that the plans for the heliport are nearly ready to be submitted to the Ministry of the Environment. He said Santo Domingo East Alfredo Martinez has given them a permission of No Objection to the work. Pending is the approval of the Santo Domingo East mayoralty board of councillors in order to comply with the municipal law.
In 2018, the Airport Authority inaugurated a heliport on Autopista 30 de Mayo on the western side of the sea-fronting Malecón Avenue, in the National District. The National District heliport has a modern terminal and offices and cost a little over RD$45 million. The Santo Domingo East heliport is expected to cost less.
The Airport Authority also explained that a heliport would be built on the on the Maria Montez promenade in Barahona city, also facing the Caribbean Sea. Collante said that land is being sought in Santiago for a further heliport.
Collante said that the terminals will be built with their own resources and that the design of each one will match the modern standards of quality for this type of heliport.
The Airport Authority says they have a registry of 72 helicopters. Public Works Minister Gonzalo Castillo is the owner of the largest helicopter company, Helidosa.
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Diario Libre
30 January 2019
