The Dominican Republic through its Civil Aviation Board is advancing into the negotiations with the United States to sign an Open Skies Agreement.
These negotiations have no other purpose than to increase air operations between the two countries.
However, if the open skies agreement between both nations is approved, a clear regulation is necessary to guarantee fair competition between airlines.
Thus, more, and better alternatives would be promoted for air transport users.
According to a statement published by the Civil Aviation Board, this agreement also includes better fares, for competitive prices for the Dominican market.
In addition, the agreement encourages the creation of more routes, frequencies, commercial and tourist promotion exchanges between the Dominican Republic and the United States.
Dominican Republic in numbers:
In 2021, the Dominican Civil Aviation Board approved 12 commercial cooperation agreements between airlines of different nationalities, thus promoting connectivity and the development of tourism in the Dominican Republic.
Last year, it also approved 48 new routes and flight frequencies, signing new air service agreements, ratifying, and amending those already made.
In addition, 5,491 non-scheduled or charter flights were authorized for exclusive cargo air operations and 5,909 for passenger and combined transport, totaling a general total of 11,400 charter operations.
Likewise, the Dominican Republic also had a significant increase in the number of air passengers, closing the year with 10,753,720 people transported through Dominican airports.
This number represented estimated direct and indirect income for the country of $9,926 million and the recovery of more than 400,000 direct and indirect jobs.
Recently, the Dominican Civil Aviation Board granted permission to Plus Ultra Líneas Aéreas and Jetblue Airways Corporation for the operation of new routes that will connect the Dominican Republic with Europe and a new route between the United States and the Caribbean country.
Plus Ultra will operate the route between Madrid and Santo Domingo. It will be covered by its Airbus A340-300 and/or A340-600 aircraft, with capacities of 275 to 360 passengers.
The Spanish carrier will start this operation with 4 weekly flights. Those will be Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Sundays. The airline plans to transport approximately 42,900 passengers during the first year of operation.
Likewise, the Civil Aviation Board approved Jetblue’s request to include the route between Boston and Puerto Plata, which had been on trial for a month.
This new route will start on May 7 and will be carried out on Airbus A320, with one weekly flight on Saturdays until December 2022.
Jetblue estimates an annual offer of 14,340 seats for this new route.
