Despite being the leading tourism destination for United States travelers in the Caribbean, Dominican airports are not on the top 10 list for private plane arrivals. The Abinader administration wants to grab a share of the private plane tourism to the Caribbean while at the same time addressing security issues.
The agencies that are responsible for aviation in the Dominican Republic, the Civil Aviation Board (JAC), the Airport Department, and the Dominican Civil Aviation Institute (IDAC) have come together to draft new regulations to ensure safety and stimulate an increase in private aviation.
The Dominican authorities understand that private aviation from the United States or any of the neighboring islands, or even Latin America, could well represent a major boost in tourism from a sector that has the economic clout to make a difference.
Statistics indicate that before the pandemic, more than 50,000 flights a year were made to the Caribbean, but they do not generally come here. The paperwork is very tedious. Reports are that paperwork, inspections and red tape for a flight from Santiago to the La Isabela airport, just north of Santo Domingo, takes as much time as driving by land. The new protocols seek to reduce this overflow of bureaucracy and bring rich dividends to the local economies.
The top 15 private jet airports in the Caribbean are: Luis Muñoz Marín (Puerto Rico), Princess Juliana (St. Maarten), Cyril E. King (St. Thomas), Isla Grande (Puerto Rico), Henry E. Rohlsen (St. Croix), Terrance B. Lettsome (Tortola), Clayton J Lloyd (Anguilla), V C Bird (Antigua), Gustav III (St. Bart), and Grantley Adams (Barbados), Lynden Pindling (Nassau), Providenciales (Turks & Caicos), Marsh Harbour (Bahamas), North Eleuthera (Bahamas).
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Hoy
Airport Department
Private Fly
17 May 2022