SANTO DOMINGO.- In order to increase and strengthen trade, as well as strengthen direct connections, the Civil Aviation Board (JAC) approved new air connections with Puerto Rico, Panama, Canada and Portugal this past week, adding to those already in place with other cities around the world.
This was reported during the start of the fifth ordinary session of this year by the president of the organization, José Ernesto Marte Piantini, upon learning of the new applications from foreign air operators: Air Transat, Orbest and Copa Airlines, according to a press release.
During the meeting, the members of the Civil Aviation Board learned of the request from the foreign operator Air Transat to operate new flights to and from the Dominican territory with the cities of Toronto, Moncton and Ottawa in Canada, on the routes: Toronto/Samaná/Toronto; Moncton/Punta Cana/Moncton and Ottawa/Punta Cana/Ottawa.
According to information provided by the Statistics Division of the Department of Air Transport, from January 2023 to January 2024, this operator moved 970,037 passengers in 4,705 air operations of arrivals and departures on the routes authorized in its operating permit and on routes operated in other modalities.
Similarly, Marte Piantini reported that, with the aim of continuing to strengthen the country's connectivity for the benefit of Dominican travelers and productive sectors, the members of the plenary were informed of the request for a special permit from the air operator Orbest to operate flights on the Lisbon/La Romana Lisbon route, from June 26 to September 11, 2024, with a frequency of one flight per week, on Wednesdays.
During the period from January 2023 to January 2024, the Portuguese foreign air operator Orbest transported 28,723 passengers in 82 air operations on arrivals and departures on the route contained in its operating permit, as well as on other routes and modalities.
Likewise, the JAC was informed of the request for another special permit from Copa Airlines, to carry out cargo flights on the Panama/San Juan/Santo Domingo/Panama route, on March 7, 14, 21 and 28, 2024, with a frequency of one flight on each date.
According to the Statistics Division of the Air Transport Department of the JAC, from January 2023 to January 2024, Copa Airlines transported 1,140,915 passengers in 8,515 combined operations, on routes included in its operating permit, as well as on routes operated under other modalities.
The Civil Aviation Board also approved a special permit for the national air operator Air Century to operate the Punta Cana/Havana, Cuba/Punta Cana route.
This permit consists of 42 air operations that will begin from March 19 to May 31, 2024, with a frequency of four flights per week, on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays.
Similarly, a special permit was approved for the air operator Sky High Aviation Services to operate cargo-only flights on various routes, including: Santo Domingo/Guyana/Havana/Guyana/Santo Domingo; Santo Domingo/Panama/Havana/Panama/Santo Domingo; Santo Domingo/Miami/Havana/Miami/Santo Domingo; among others.
The following routes were also approved for operating combined flights (passengers and cargo): Santo Domingo/Miami/Santiago de Cuba/Miami/Santo Domingo; Santo Domingo/Tampa/Santiago de Cuba/Tampa/Santo Domingo and Santo Domingo/Tampa/Punta Cana/Tampa/Santo Domingo.
