SANTO DOMINGO.- The Civil Aviation Board (JAC) of the Dominican Republic announced this afternoon that it is suspending cargo and passenger air operations to and from the Republic of Haiti starting tomorrow, Friday, September 15, after President Luis Abinader ordered the total closure of the border with Haiti.
A press release states that the cancellation of air travel was taken through resolution 191-2023. The president of the Civil Aviation Board (JAC), José Marte Piantini, explained that the measure was adopted during the extraordinary session, which had as its sole item the suspension of air operations due to the border closure, considering that Article 9 of the Convention on International Civil Aviation (Chicago Convention) establishes that each State reserves the right, in exceptional circumstances, during a period of emergency or in the interest of public safety, to temporarily and immediately restrict or prohibit flights over its entire territory.
Resolution 191-2023 instructed that it be sent for their information to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Dominican Republic, Ministry of Defense, Dominican Air Force, Ministry of Tourism and General Directorate of Customs.
Likewise, it must also be sent for the corresponding purposes to the Dominican Institute of Civil Aviation, National Department of Investigation, Specialized Corps in Airport and Civil Aviation Security, Airport Department, Association of Airlines of the Dominican Republic, Dominican Association of Airlines, International Airports of the Dominican Republic, Intelligence Directorate of the General Staff- J2 and the Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Cybersecurity and Intelligence Center of the Armed Forces- C5i.
The crisis
Since the beginning of September, it has been reported that Haitian civilians have resumed construction of a canal over the Massacre River, a project that the Dominican Republic had requested be halted in 2021, for violating the 1929 Treaty which establishes that neither nation can consent to the diversion of the natural course of its transboundary rivers.
This Thursday, the president ordered the total closure of the border starting tomorrow, Friday, at 6:00 AM after giving Haitians a deadline to stop the construction of the water project.
"Starting at 6:00 a.m. this Friday, the entire Dominican Republic's borders—land, sea, and air—will be closed. This is in accordance with the information we provided, the National Security Council, and the planning that was done. The Ministry of Defense is already prepared; the Army, Navy, and Air Force are ready to comply with this measure," the president announced.
