The governments of the Dominican Republic and Guatemala signed a new air services agreement on 2 June 2022 in Guatemala City. Jose Ernesto Marte Piantini, president of the Civil Aviation Board (JAC) traveled to Guatemala City to sign the agreement with his counterpart, Francis Arturo Argueta Aguirre, director general of the Civil Aeronautics of Guatemala.
The air services agreement establishes a full liberalization approach (Open Skies) where traffic rights of up to Sixth Freedom of the Air for combined and cargo flights, and up to Seventh Freedom of the Air for cargo flights only, are contemplated.
During the ceremony for the signing of the agreement for the transportation of passengers, cargo and mail between both countries, Marte Piantini spoke of the commitment of both nations to strengthen bilateral relations in civil aviation. He added that “this new agreement with Guatemala immediately generates new opportunities for Dominican airlines and more options for the users of the air services of both countries.”
Arajet, a new Dominican low-cost airline based in Las Americas International Airport in Santo Domingo, is expected to commence direct flights to Guatemala this summer. People from Guatemala will be able to take advantage of the many connections through Las Americas and Punta Cana International to travel around the world.
Marte Piantini spoke of how the new agreement will enable the expansion of flights between the two nations, and will contribute to the designated airlines being able to operate between the two territories without frequency limits.
Marte Piantini highlighted the importance of this agreement for the connectivity of the two countries. He said that since 2018 some 36,838 Guatemalan travelers have arrived in the Dominican Republic, through flights with stopovers in Tocumen, Panama or Fort Lauderdale in the United States. He said now with the signing of the agreement there will soon be direct regular flights between both countries.
“This Open Skies Agreement establishes a legal framework for international air transportation to facilitate the growth of an efficient civil aviation system. It favors the creation of new opportunities for both countries,” said Marte Piantini to the press covering the event in Guatemala City.
The agreement establishes the Open Skies approach (full liberalization), flexibility to operate flights in either or both directions, combine different flight numbers in the operation of an aircraft, Sixth Freedom of the Air traffic rights for passengers on routes operated by designated airlines for both countries and beyond. In addition, the agreement contemplates that the designated airlines may conduct operations under the code-sharing regime and on non-scheduled or charter flights.
Read more in Spanish:
JAC
7 June 2022