Vice President Raquel Peña was present to announce the start of the construction of a cargo terminal at Las Americas International Airport (SDQ). The DGA terminal is a 4,858 square meter facility. It will increase express cargo capacity at the Greater Santo Domingo airport by 186%.
The Customs Agency (DGA) and the Aeropuertos Dominicanos Siglo XXI (Aerodom), the operator of the Greater Santo Domingo airport, are undertaking the commitment as part of efforts to turn the Dominican Republic into a regional logistics hub.
In her opening remarks, Vice President of the Republic Raquel Peña spoke of how the sustained growth of express cargo shipments by air are forcing the country to streamline the management of cargo and to formulate new strategies and logistics facilities for handling these operations.
She said the vision of President Luis Abinader is to consolidate the Dominican Republic as a world-class logistics hub. She said the goal is to become the main logistics hub in the region.
Customs Agency director and Monika Infante for Aerodom-Vinci Airports explained the construction is in response to the significant increase in the demand for the transport of goods.
“This project is fundamental for setting the country on the road to a future in which the logistics chain is a preponderant economic sector, but, above all, it prioritizes national security, quality and transparency,” said Customs Agency general director Eduardo Sanz Lovaton at the event.
Sanz Lovatón says the country is taking advantage of the large number of tourist visitations and the excellent air connections to also turn the nation into an air cargo hub.
He pointed out the 24/7 operations will speed up cargo clearance. He said there will be better safeguarding of cargo and improved traceability.
A survey of the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) ranked Las Americas International Airport as the second best, in terms of infrastructure-efficiency ratio for air cargo, only surpassed by Montevideo, Uruguay.
Sanz Lovatón explained that only in March of this year (2023) there were 7,300 tons of air cargo available on passenger flights, and it is possible to have more than 10,000 tons, which represents a great opportunity for the country.
“This type of project contributes to putting the country on the road to a future in which logistics constitutes a preponderant economic sector, while maintaining national security, quality and transparency,” he said.
Mónika Infante, representative of Aerodom, said in 2022 the airports managed by Aerodom mobilized 190 million pounds of cargo, surpassing by 8% the year 2021.
The annual increase in cargo volumes, in the range of 15-18% in kilograms, has been the main reason behind the construction of the new terminal, to meet the growing demand and provide adequate storage space for mail carriers. Currently, Cargo Depot 5 receives cargo from 39 mail companies, but its space is very limited compared to the number of parcels it handles.
The new building will have specific areas for receiving goods, unloading, depalletizing, cages, administration and X-rays to expedite these procedures.
Express airfreight is the most widely used mode of transportation in the world. Express carriers manage supply chains spanning more than 220 countries and regions worldwide.
The IATA Air Connectivity Report explains that air connectivity is an important facilitator of international trade. About 35% of international trade by value is moved by air. Countries with better connectivity tend to trade more – 1% better air cargo connectivity is associated with 6% more trade. By implementing policies that promote the improvement in air cargo connectivity and efficient movement of air cargo, governments have a strong potential to improve their trade competitiveness on a global level.
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Customs Agency
IATA Air Connectivity report
11 May 2023