The Open Skies Agreement with the United States goes into effect in January 2025, according to the X (formerly Twitter) account of President Luis Abinader. The announcement stated that the Dominican Republic has fulfilled the enactment requirements of the agreement signed in August 2024 by Minister of Tourism David Collado and the United States Under Secretary for Economic Growth, Energy and the Environment Jose W. Fernandez.
The agreement allows a greater connection between the two countries, increases competition, expands routes, and reduces costs for travelers. The agreement covers freight as well as non-commercial layovers and combined flights. The agreement has been deliberated by the Constitutional Court and declared to be legal in all aspects. It also passed in Congress.
Arajet, a Dominican-based airline, has announced plans to fly to New York, Miami and San Juan, Puerto Rico this summer. The airline is expected to announce competitive fares.
This ends more than two decades of negotiations between the two nations, a process that came closer to being achieved after the signing of a Memorandum on Consultations Regarding an Open Skies Agreement was signed in June of 2024. Both Fernandez and Collado signed that agreement for the US and the Dominican Republic, respectively.
The agreement then moved to the Constitutional Court and the National Congress for clearance before being enacted by both governments.
An editorial in Diario Libre sees the agreement as an opportunity for strengthening economic and tourism ties between the two countries. It highlights the US already accounts for 40% of international visitors. Editorialist Anibal de Castro also writes that looking ahead, the next step should be the implementation of a US pre-clearance system at Dominican airports whereby passengers complete US immigration and customs procedures before boarding their flights to the United States. Punta Cana International already has a terminal that is readied for pre-clearance operations.
The Chamber of Deputies had signed off on the Open Skies agreement with the United States on 17 December 2024, following approval in the Senate. This followed the agreement’s validation by the Constitutional Court on 18 November 2024.
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7 January 2025