Dominican Tourism

Into its 20th year flying to Santo Domingo, Martinair announced it would increase its flights to six a week. Martinair has transported half a million European tourists over the past 10 years, and more than 10 million kilograms of air cargo. Joris Wels, executive vice president of Martinair Holland announced that the airline is strengthened after Air France and KLM aviation group purchased the majority of Martinair shares. (more…)

IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, will provide $20 million to Corporación Aeroportuaria del Este, SA to expand the Punta Cana International Airport and support the Dominican Republic’s tourism sector.

CAE, which owns and operates the airport, will build a new runway and taxiway suitable for larger aircraft and expand the passenger terminal. The expansion will enable increased passenger capacity, improve services, and diversify destination markets. It also will benefit the local economy by supporting tourism, a key source of foreign exchange and fiscal revenues.

The airport serves top-tourist destinations of the Punta Cana and Bavaro regions and is the country’s busiest and fastest-growing airport. During the first 10 months of 2009, it handled about 3.2 million passengers and accounted for roughly 43.2 percent of total air passengers in the Dominican Republic.

“In 1984, we opened the Punta Cana International Airport, an essential infrastructure project for the Dominican Republic’s economic and social growth,” said Frank Rainieri, President and CEO of Grupo Punta Cana SA, CAE’s shareholding company. “We welcome IFC’s financial support and expertise in this project that will help enhance regional development.” (more…)

SANTO DOMINGO.- The first direct flight from Moscow landed at international Punta Cana International Airport (east) Sunday, after a Russian airline Transaero Boeing 747-400 covered a distance of 11,000 kilometers, flying 12 hours.

The tow-story jet fly a total 352 passengers; 11 in first class whose seats can also become beds; 56 in business, and 285 in economy. The aircraft will join the fleet of the company’s 29 planes. (more…)

Santo Domingo.- Delta Airlines continues to expand in the Caribbean with a new nonstop daily service from Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport to Santiago (north), starting in December.

Santiago is one of the Dominican Republic’s main cultural and educative centers and industrial zones, which produces rum, leather and textiles. (more…)