“In 2022 alone, flights operating under special permits increased by 74% compared to the same period of the previous year.” Marte Piantini.
SANTO DOMINGO – The Civil Aviation Board (JAC) announced that it continues to expand air connectivity in the Dominican Republic. It reported that starting July 17, it will inaugurate new flights from the country to the United States, Panama, Venezuela, Colombia, Trinidad and Tobago, and France.
This was announced by José Ernesto Marte Piantini, at the start of the twelfth ordinary session of the plenary of the organization, held this week.
A statement from the entity reports that the members of the plenary were informed of the request from the airline Arajet to operate 54 flights on the Santo Domingo/Santiago/Medellín/Santiago/Santo Domingo route, from next Monday, July 17, 2023 until January 18, 2024, with a frequency of two flights a week, on Mondays and Thursdays in a Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft.
Marte Piantini explained that the plenary session also acknowledged Sky High Aviation's request to conduct 317 flights under a special permit from August 13, 2023 to February 13, 2024 on the following routes: Santiago/Providence/Santiago; Santiago/Miami/Santiago; Santiago/Panama City/Santiago and Santo Domingo/Trinidad and Tobago/Santo Domingo.
He explained that travelers interested in these destinations will be able to fly with a frequency of one flight per week, on Wednesdays on the Santiago/Providence route; one flight, on Mondays and Fridays on the Santiago/Panama City route and one flight, on Thursdays and Sundays on the Santo Domingo/Trinidad and Tobago route.
Similarly, he reported that foreign airlines continue to show interest in the Dominican Republic as the leading destination in the Caribbean. "So much so that the Civil Aviation Board (JAC) has received applications from airlines for new permits to operate flights to and from the Dominican Republic.".
He added that during the twelfth ordinary session, the plenary was informed of the requests from Turpial, Laser and Air Caraibes, foreign air operators, which requested special permits.
In this regard, the president of the JAC explained that they were aware of Turpial Airlines' request to operate 51 flights on the Valencia, Venezuela/Punta Cana/Valencia, Venezuela route.
He said that these operations will be carried out in a Boeing 737-400 aircraft, with a capacity of approximately 150 seats, from July 16, 2023 to January 7, 2024, with a frequency of one flight every Thursday and Sunday.
It also reported that the foreign operator Laser requested a special permit to operate 154 round-trip flights on the Caracas, Venezuela/La Romana/Caracas, Venezuela route, from July 16, 2023 to September 30, 2023, with a frequency of two flights per day.
He indicated that the Valencia, Venezuela/Punta Cana and Caracas/La Romana routes are not included in any Operating Permit or Economic Authorization Certificate.
José Ernesto Marte Piantini pointed out that "the development of the country's air connectivity is one of the pillars currently of the Civil Aviation Board.".
He added that "the members of the plenary continue to identify routes and airlines with potential characteristics that can expand connectivity and thereby offer more opportunities to travelers who choose the Dominican Republic as their destination.".
The plenary session also acknowledged the request for a special permit from the airline Air Caraibes to operate 8 flights on the route Paris, Orly/Port-au-Prince, Haiti/Punta Cana/Paris, Orly, from July 18, 2023 to September 5, 2023, with a weekly frequency, on Tuesdays.
Special flights to and from the Dominican Republic
At the end of the meeting, the president of the JAC said that commercial aviation in the country continues to experience extraordinary growth this year, “the special flights that have been approved by the Civil Aviation Board allow airlines to explore routes and show the levels of attraction of our country as a destination in the Caribbean.”.
He added that “in 2022 alone, flights under the special permit modality experienced a 74% increase compared to the same period of the previous year,” specifying that a total of 3,730 operations were carried out under this modality in 2022.
