Álvaro Leite, commercial director of Dominican Airports Siglo XXI ( Aerodom ), said that he hopes that the country’s borders will be reopened so that the airlines restart their operations in the airports operated by the company with a lower initial offer that will grow to adapt to demand over the course of the next few months.
“We have maintained close communication with the airlines and all our partners. During these conversations, they have conveyed their interest in restarting operations as soon as possible,” he added.
He explained that they expect demand to recover faster for Santo Domingo airports, where the market is stronger, with a perfect mix of passengers (VFR, business, and leisure). At the same time, it anticipates a slightly slower recovery in the terminals of Puerto Plata and Samaná given its direct link with tourist activities.
“Given that two of our airports serve the capital city of the Dominican Republic, we believe this market will be more resilient and have a solid medium-term outlook,” he said.
Furthermore, he added that: “All over the world, the entire recovery will not be quick. It will take time for airports and airlines to return to 2019 figures, but we remain confident that our customers and people, in general, will still want to travel, and that at Aerodom traffic will begin to increase as soon as the enforcement measures are lifted.”
Leite, in an interview with Routes, stated that for the reopening they are working closely with all the airlines that operate in Aerodom, with the Ministry of Tourism ( Mitur ), as well as with several Hotel and Tourism Associations to support national initiatives. Currently under discussion to strengthen the tourism offer of the Dominican Republic.
“We are preparing for the future and reopening our routes. We are also working to make sure that the DR is a safer destination,” he said.
The executive indicated that Aerodom, as part of VINCI Airports, has implemented new sanitary measures throughout its network to protect passengers and employees.
Measures include: managing the flows of people, observing social distancing, providing personal protective equipment (PPE), as well as cleaning and disinfecting surfaces, and informing passengers…
