SANTO DOMINGO.-In its session this Wednesday, the Senate approved in a single reading the renegotiated contract between the State and Aeropuertos Dominicanos Siglo XXI (Aerodom), which extends the concession of the José Francisco Peña Gómez, Gregorio Luperón, Juan Bosch, Joaquín Balaguer and María Montez international airports and the Arroyo Barril domestic airport.
The initiative was submitted to the full Senate, after being released from reading, and was welcomed by 19 of the 24 present.
The president of the Special Commission formed to analyze the piece, Milcíades Franjul, presented the detailed favorable report of the piece to the plenary and requested that the initiative be included in the legislative work of the day.
Meanwhile, Senator Aris Yván Lorenzo, representing the province of Elías Piña, presented a dissenting report to the plenary, which was rejected with 18 votes out of 25 senators present at the session.
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On November 14 of this year, President Luis Abinader announced the renegotiation of the concession of Aeropuertos Dominicanos Siglo XXI (Aerodom), with the novelty that the Dominican State will be remunerated for the operating rights, investments will be made in improvements to airport infrastructure and the contract will be extended for 30 more years.
In 1999, the Dominican government granted Aerodom the administration and operation of six airports. Before the contract's expiration date (2030), the Executive branch announced its decision to renegotiate the terms to guarantee greater benefits for the country.
Abinader said, when announcing the information to the country, that this renegotiation represents a benefit for the Dominican Republic of between 1.905 billion and 2.155 billion dollars.
Remuneration to the State
Of that amount, the concessionaire will advance the country $775 million over a six-month period as an initial payment for operating rights for the extended concession term until 2060. Abinader stated that these funds will be invested in public works for the benefit of Dominicans. The resources will fund a comprehensive paving program in Greater Santo Domingo and other municipalities, as well as road improvements on heavily trafficked avenues. Additionally, these funds will finance the construction of the San Cristóbal Trauma Unit, the Villa Mella bridge, and sports facilities.
Infrastructure improvements
In addition, VINCI Airports will have to invest $830 million for improvements in the six concessioned airports, including the Las Américas -José Francisco Peña Gómez - and other variable contributions estimated between $300 and $550 million.
Due to the growing passenger flow at Las Américas Airport, the concessionaire company will immediately invest $16 million to improve the airport's existing terminal within 12 to 18 months.
Furthermore, he announced that work will begin on the design for a new terminal at AILA, which will add four million passengers annually and is scheduled to start construction in 2025. This project will require an investment of $250 million.
“The extraordinary performance of tourism and the development of the country as a commercial center, which have motivated double-digit growth in passenger traffic, make the construction of a new additional terminal at the Las Américas International Airport, José Francisco Peña Gómez, imperative,” the president emphasized, adding that forecasts indicate it will reach 8.4 million passengers in 2030, exceeding its current capacity of approximately 6.5 million passengers.
