The Dominican Republic has decided to suspend its contracts with Iberia due to deficiencies in the quality of service offered on the route between Spain and the Caribbean nation. This was revealed by Tourism Minister David Collado, who explained that the measure was adopted four months ago in response to the airline's failure to meet agreed-upon standards regarding comfort and the condition of the aircraft used.
During a press conference in Madrid, at the 2026 International Tourism Fair (FITUR), Collado explained that the decision was made after repeated complaints to the airline to improve its service. He stated that the aircraft being used did not meet the quality standards required by a tourist destination like the Dominican Republic.
“We demanded that Iberia improve its service, because they weren't offering the quality of aircraft that the Dominican Republic deserves. Never before had the contract of such an important airline been suspended, but the private committee made the decision,” the official stated.
The suspension was initiated by the committee that evaluates the country's air connectivity, an entity responsible for analyzing the quality of international operations and their direct impact on the tourist experience. The main objective of this measure is to ensure that both Dominicans and international visitors receive service that meets the expectations of the destination, especially in one of its main source markets: Europe.
Collado emphasized that air connectivity cannot be measured solely by the number of routes or frequencies, but rather by the quality of service passengers receive from their first contact with the country. In that regard, he maintained that maintaining agreements with airlines that fail to meet their commitments damages the destination's image and weakens its tourism positioning strategy.
The statements came amid a positive assessment of the Dominican Republic's participation in FITUR 2026, where the country reinforced its image as one of the Caribbean's strongest tourist destinations. The official agenda focused on promoting new investments, strengthening strategic alliances, and improving air connectivity under more demanding quality and efficiency standards.
