SANTO DOMINGO.- The Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico resumed flights yesterday, Sunday, after they were interrupted last Saturday, January 3, by the temporary closure of the air border with the United States, following the explosions in Venezuela after the capture of the country's president, Nicolás Maduro, by US military forces.
The reopening of air operations has allowed hundreds of passengers who had been stranded to begin traveling again to the Island of Enchantment, from the Las Américas International Airport José Francisco Peña Gómez (AILA).
From the early hours of Sunday, an intense movement of flights and passengers was observed at the Las Américas terminal, many of whom had made their reservations several weeks ago, but were unable to leave due to the sudden cancellation of commercial flights to San Juan, Puerto Rico, given the situation in the South American country.
The company Aeropuertos Dominicanos XXI (Aerodom) reported that all air operations from AILA to San Juan were proceeding normally, after the suspension of at least 18 commercial flights that affected several airlines over the weekend.
JetBlue Airways, Sky High Aviation, and Frontier Airlines flights were departing packed with passengers, mostly Dominicans residing in Puerto Rico and Puerto Rican citizens who were vacationing in the Dominican Republic for the Christmas and New Year holidays.
Airlines recommended that their customers stay in contact with their representatives or travel agents at the airport to facilitate flight rescheduling and enable them to travel as soon as possible.
The cancellations affected operations of JetBlue Airways, Sky High Aviation, and Frontier Airlines, leaving hundreds of passengers stranded at both AILA and Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
The suspension of flights was due to operational and security restrictions linked to the regional geopolitical situation, taking into account that Puerto Rico hosts an important military base of the United States Armed Forces.
In the Dominican Republic, US military camps and aircraft also operate at both AILA and San Isidro Air Base, a situation that has increased controls and preventive measures in air operations.
Among the most affected passengers are numerous Dominicans residing in Puerto Rico who traveled to the country to share the Christmas and New Year festivities with their families and who had scheduled their return to the island on the day the flights were suspended.
According to AILA's flight log, JetBlue Airways canceled flights 2537, 2538, 1637, 1638, 1937, and 1938, all to or from San Juan (SJU). Meanwhile, Frontier Airlines suspended flights 97, 96, 99, and 98 to the same destination.
For its part, Sky High Aviation canceled several regional operations, including flights 956 and 957 to Antigua (ANU), 850 and 851 to Fort-de-France (FDF), 981 to Saint Kitts (SKB) and 861 to Pointe-à-Pitre (PTP), among others, according to airport systems.
