1999News

Congress passes contract for airport privatization

The Chamber of Deputies passed the contract for the management of four international airports in Santo Domingo, including the two largest. The 20-year concession had been signed between the Dominican state and Aeropuertos Dominicanos Siglo XXI (Aerodom). The contract establishes that Aerodom will be responsible for the administration, operation, maintenance, modernization, commercial exploitation, renewal and expansion of the airports. The consortium commits to invest US$203 million (US$96 million in Las Americas-Santo Domingo, US$47 million in Gregorio Luperon-Puerto Plata, US$55 million Arroyo Barril-Samaná and US$5 million in Maria Montez-Barahona) in a 24-month program to improve the infrastructure of all four airports to meet project traffic increases until the year 2015. A second round of improvements worth US$106 million (US$52 million, US$32 million, US$14 million, US$8 million, respectively) is foreseen to meet needs until the year 2030. It also promises to invest US$85 million during the contract period to promote and foster tourism in the DR. Aerodom is a consortium made up by majority shareholder DR-based Operaciones Aeroportuarias del Caribe (OPASA), US-based Ogden Aviation Services, Canada-based Vancouver Airport Services (YVR), Italy-based Impreglio. During the same session, the Chamber of Deputies moved favorably on the 2000 National Budget, which will total more than RD$50,000 million. The budget, which was modified in the Chamber of Deputies, now passes on to the Senate.