Hotel occupancy in Santo Domingo is down to 50% as a consequence of the terrorist attack in the US, Diario Libre reports. Likewise, the newspaper says there were six flight cancellations yesterday, and more than 120 US airline flights cancelled in recent days. Reportedly, flights with less than 50 passengers are being cancelled. El Siglo reports 7,000 reservations for flights to the US have been cancelled. Many travellers have opted to postpone their trips. The newspaper says that traffic at Las Americas International Airport declined from an average of 5,000 passengers per day to 700 travellers yesterday.
The Specialized Airport Security Corps (CESA) has confiscated hundreds of cutting instruments and inflammable objects under the new restrictions imposed by the Federal Aviation Agency on passengers to the US.
Meanwhile, security personnel are confiscating bottles of any kind, cutting instruments of any size or material, even nail clippers, hair pins, corkscrews, pocket knives, scissors, perfumes, insecticides, and lighters, among other objects. Knives may be transported only in checked baggage.
Hoy newspaper reports that the FAA has banned the transport of cargo on regular flights to and from the US and the DR.
El Caribe reports that Puerto Plata received 10 charters full of tourists from Europe and Canada on Saturday. The newspaper has reported that Dominican hoteliers are stepping up efforts to attract European travellers now that a drop in US travel is predicted. (18 September 2001)
