In his weekly press briefing on Monday, 1 September 2025, President Luis Abinader spoke of the local aviation boom. He announced that the Dominican Republic has solidified its status as a leading air and logistics hub in the region. He said data shows the country is already the second best air connected country in Latin America, second only to Mexico.
Abinader highlighted unprecedented milestones in operational safety, airport modernization, process digitalization, and expanded international connectivity.
The President noted that the country’s Open Skies policy has led to updating or signing in the past five years of bilateral agreements with 50 countries of the 73 with which it has agreements. This includes the agreements with Canada, Argentina, Spain, Guyana, Greece, Egypt, Singapore, Honduras and Latvia, among others.
The DR has direct flights to 414 international airports in 75 countries. More so, there are 1,096 air frequencies. Abinader attributed the growth to the trust of the airlines in the Dominican market and the consolidation of the country as an attractive and strategic destination for passenger and cargo traffic.
Abinader highlighted that by the end of 2025, the aviation sector is projected to generate US$15 billion in direct and indirect revenue, contributing 11% of the nation’s GDP through its ties to the tourism industry. This growth is also expected to create over 40,000 direct and 540,000 indirect jobs.
Growth continues and the country now serves as air base for operations of 365 airlines, including 13 national carriers, more than double the number in 2020. This has resulted in a 365% increase in available seats on Dominican airlines, from 695 in 2020 to 3,232 in 2025.
Modernization and infrastructure
President Abinader highlighted key advancements in safety and digitalization. The Dominican Civil Aviation Institute (IDAC) has achieved an 86.19% compliance rate with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and maintained its Category 1 rating from the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Modern systems and Doppler radars have been implemented to reduce serious incidents.
Digital initiatives like the Aero-administrative Single Investment Window, online IDAC services, and the migratory e-ticket have streamlined processes. The country has also been integrated into the US Global Entry program, with an electronic passport system currently in its final phase of implementation.
President Abinader also spoke of the start of operations of Amazon Air Cargo on 3 September 2025 from Las Americas International Airport’s cargo terminal, with seven weekly flights and a capacity of 770 metric tons, consolidates the country’s position as a regional logistics hub.
Read more:
Presidency
La Semanal 1 September 2025
CDN
2 September 2025