Taken from Listín Diario
SANTO DOMINGO- At least 300 flights have been canceled by six airlines affected by the suspension measure from the Dominican Republic, adopted by the Venezuelan government, creating uncertainty among hundreds of passengers who had made their reservations in advance.
Furthermore, these airlines use aircraft with a capacity of between 100 and 130 passengers, implying a weekly average of 2,700 passengers who, starting today, July 31, will be left without these means of transportation.
The trigger for this crisis in the field of air transport was the position adopted by the Dominican Republic, along with eight other Latin American countries, requesting an urgent meeting of the Permanent Council of the Organization of American States to issue a resolution on the results of the elections held last Sunday in Venezuela.
Given this, the lack of operation of these six airlines will leave dozens of passengers stranded who had reservations with these airlines operating at Las Américas International Airport (AILA), bound for the South American country.
The situation has already led to the cancellation of approximately three hundred flights and is generating uncertainty among passengers.
Airlines affected by the suspension include Laser, which flew from Santo Domingo to Venezuela on Thursdays and Sundays; Sky High, with daily operations; Avior, which covered Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays; Turpial, which operated on Mondays; Rutaca, with flights on Sundays and Mondays; and Venezolana, which offered service on Thursdays and Sundays.
Passenger volume
These airlines use aircraft with a capacity of 100 to 130 passengers. Based on an 80 percent occupancy rate, this would result in an average of 2,700 passengers transported each week.
In response to the situation, the AILA Flight Operations Department and the affected airlines are working hard to coordinate a new schedule and mitigate the impact on travelers.
Efforts are underway to reorganize bookings and ensure that passengers with valid tickets do not suffer additional harm due to the suspension, said an Aerodom executive who asked to remain anonymous.
Uncertainty
The news has generated concern among passengers who had prepared to travel, and coordination between the parties involved remains constantly evolving.
Airlines are prioritizing communication with their customers to ensure that new routes and schedules meet their needs as closely as possible.
At this time, the main objective is to minimize the inconvenience caused by the government measure and ensure the smoothest possible transition for affected travelers.
An employee of one of the affected airlines explained that passengers who had reservations to travel on that airline's flights have been contacted via voice messages and texts through WhatsApp and phone calls.
“What we want is for passengers to be aware of what happened to their flight before the suspension of flights this Wednesday, and that it was not our responsibility, but rather due to circumstances that occur in this business,” said an employee of one of the airlines working at the counters.
To travel to Venezuela from the Dominican Republic, now with the suspension of flights, Venezuelans and Dominicans who want to travel to that destination would have to look for an alternative route from a country close to that South American nation.
The causes
Venezuela's Ministry of Transportation announced last Monday the temporary suspension of commercial flights to and from the Dominican Republic. The information was contained in a statement indicating that the measure would take effect at 8:00 pm on Wednesday, July 31, Venezuelan local time. Venezuela made the decision after rejecting the "interference" of other countries regarding the election results.
