President Luis Abinader reiterated that the Dominican Republic's civil aviation is a benchmark in the region, due to its extensive air connectivity and its commitment to sustainable development and the modernization of airport infrastructure.
According to the president, this data is supported by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), whose president and secretary general, Salvatore Sciacchitano and Juan Carlos Salazar, respectively, are calling on all member countries to emulate the liberalization policy that exists in the Dominican Republic.
“That’s why we’re so successful in our country. Without air connectivity, there’s no success in tourism,” the head of state said.
At LA Semanal con la Prensa, held in Punta Cana, President Abinader indicated that the country has been part of the Convention on International Civil Aviation (Chicago Convention) since its signing in 1944, marking the beginning of a permanent commitment to ICAO, the specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for promoting global standards and regulations for aviation, which currently has 193 member states.
The Dominican Republic is also an active member of the Latin American Civil Aviation Commission (CLAC), an advisory body that brings together 22 States in the region and promotes cooperation and coordination of civil aviation policies in Latin America.
Within the framework of the ICAN 2025 , the World Conference on Air Services Agreement Negotiations organized by ICAO, 18 bilateral meetings focused on the signing, review and updating of air services agreements (ASAs) with various States; new agreements with Oman, Paraguay, El Salvador and Greece; there will be negotiations with Eswatini, Korea, Malaysia, Hong Kong and the Scandinavian countries (Denmark, Norway and Sweden), as well as with Zimbabwe and Benin for new agreements.
In addition, existing agreements with Austria, Italy and Belgium will be updated and agreements with the Czech Republic and Poland will be reviewed
The Dominican Republic will also lead the negotiation of memoranda of understanding with Switzerland, and will review its bilateral framework with Panama, reinforcing its strategic position in global aviation.
In figures
According to data released by President Abinader, the country has signed 57 bilateral instruments with other States and territories between 2019 and 2024, including 30 air service agreements and 17 memoranda of understanding.
Meanwhile, the international connectivity ranking leads growth in Latin America and the Caribbean, with an increase of 49% in recent years.
Passenger traffic growth projections are equally positive, reaching an estimated 25.8 million passengers by 2030 , driven by infrastructure investment and sustained demand growth. A record 24.7 million seats are expected to be offered December 2025 , solidifying the country's position as a regional air transport hub
In the tourism sector, the Dominican Republic is positioned as a leader in tourism per capita in Latin America, with more than 11 million visitors in 2024, equivalent to 103.7% of its population, surpassing Uruguay and the regional average of 17.4% .
