More routes will be opened, there will be more frequencies and the cost of fares between the Dominican Republic and the United States will drop, forecasts the president of the Dominican Civil Aviation Board, Jose Ernesto Marte Piantini. He announced recently that aviation authorities of both countries are honing the aviation agreement between both countries.
The Civil Aviation Board (JAC) is advancing in the negotiations to sign an Open Skies Agreement with the United States. The agreement seeks to increase the air operations of national and foreign airlines to and from any US city, without limits of frequency or capacity, announced JAC president, José Ernesto Marte Piantini.
The negotiations are intended to improve the conditions for airlines to compete. The agreement seeks to promote more alternatives for travelers. The agreement incorporates mechanisms to foster competitive prices for the Dominican market, the JAC announces in a press release.
For decades, the Dominican Republic has stood by its open skies policies, rather than protection for airline companies, regardless of whether these are international or national companies. The agreement has been the backbone for the country’s development as a Caribbean tourism powerhouse and the leading destination for tourists in the Central American and Caribbean region.
The new agreement now seeks to encourage the creation of even more routes and frequencies. It is seen as a mechanism to boost trade and tourism between the Dominican Republic and the United States.
“We begin the process to take another historic step in national aviation and take the strong economic alliance between the United States and the Dominican Republic to a higher level,” said Marte Piantini.
In 2021, the JAC approved 12 commercial cooperation agreements between airlines of different nationalities.
Last year, the local civil aviation board also approved 48 new routes and flight frequencies, new air service agreements and ratified those already signed. In addition, 5,491 non-scheduled or charter flights were authorized for exclusive cargo air operations and 5,909 for passenger and combined transport, for a total of 11,400 charter operations.
In 2021, the Dominican Republic saw a significant increase in air passengers, closing with 10,753,720 people (inbound and outbound) transported through Dominican airports.
The announcement comes at a time when private investors in the Dominican Republic are backing the launching of Arajet (initially Skycana), expected to start operations this year with a first brand new Boeing 737 Max 8 jet scheduled to arrive this week from Seattle, Washington, USA.
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Civil Aviation Board
15 February 2022