Cuba.- The governments of the Dominican Republic and Cuba signed an agreement to strengthen air connectivity within the framework of the Eleventh Meeting of Directors of Civil Aviation of North America, Central America and the Caribbean.
In the event organized by the Regional Office of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the presidents of the Civil Aviation Board (JAC), José Ernesto Marte Piantini and the Cuban Institute of Civil Aeronautics (IACC), Armando Luis Daniel López, signed a Protocol of Amendment to the Air Transport Agreement between both nations in the presence of Eduardo Rodríguez Dávila, Minister of Transportation of the Republic of Cuba and Juan Carlos Salazar, ICAO Secretary General.
The signing of the document concludes the negotiations initiated through the Civil Aviation Board, and updates the agreement signed in the city of Havana, Cuba, on December 9, 2005, with modifications to Article 3, which contains the provisions that govern the designation and authorization of air operators between the two Caribbean territories.
At the beginning of the signing of the Protocol, Marte Piantini, president of the JAC, indicated that the objective of updating the document signed 18 years ago is to increase the flow of passengers, trade, connectivity and consequently air transport between the territories.
He added that “from the signing, benefits are generated for air operators who fly between Cuba and the Dominican Republic, two of the most important economies in the Caribbean that from now on are closer to their relationship in terms of commercial aviation.”
In this same sense, the president of the JAC, the body that regulates the economic aspects of civil aviation in the Dominican Republic, highlighted that with the new document the commercial air relations between Cuba and the Dominican Republic are updated, allowing the multiple designation so that “all national airlines can operate passenger, baggage and cargo air transport services from the national territory to Cuba and vice versa.
Currently, the Agreement between the two countries only allowed the designation of two airlines for each country”, said José Marte Piantini, from the event that takes place in the city of Varadero from June 28 to 30.
The official explained that “from the JAC, work continues to materialize the promise of the President of the Republic Luis Abinader, to turn the country into the international air cargo hub with the greatest connection in the Caribbean through the update of the Air Services Agreements. and the negotiation of new agreements.
Within the framework of the meeting, the aeronautical authorities also proceeded to sign a Meeting Minutes with the purpose of analyzing matters relating to the capacity of air services between both States, the current needs of the market and increasing the number of flights between both territories.
In reference to the frequencies, the Act establishes the commitment to establish unlimited frequencies for the operation of air services on the routes contemplated in the Annex to the Agreement, it also states that, in the case of the José Martí International Airport of Havana, the airlines Dominican Republic will be able to increase their frequencies to that destination.
Dominican-Cuban connectivity
According to the information provided by the Statistics Division of the Department of Air Transportation of the JAC, it is projected that by the end of this year, 36,000 passengers will be transported through the airport terminals, which would represent an increase of 32%, compared to the year 2022.
Marte Piantini, emphasized that “Cuba ranks as the seventh most active Caribbean market for the Dominican Republic in terms of passenger transport between connections in the Caribbean.”
At the same time, he highlighted that the first five months of 2023, 11,000 passengers have been transported on commercial flights to and from Cuba.
In the act of signing both instruments, the president of the Civil Aviation Board (JAC), Dr. José Ernesto Marte Piantini, was accompanied by Paola Aimée Plá Puello, secretary of the JAC plenary session.
While the delegation of the Republic of Cuba was integrated in addition to the president of the Institute of Civil Aeronautics of Cuba, Armando Luis Daniel López for Licda. Rita María García González, Director of Air Transportation and International Relations of the IACC.
