Today, Under Secretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment Jose W. Fernandez and Dominican Republic Minister of Tourism David Collado signed an Open Skies Agreement at the National Palace in Santo Domingo to advance our countries' bilateral aviation cooperation. The agreement, once entered into force, will bring the civil aviation transportation relationship between the United States and the Dominican Republic to the highest modern standard. The President of the Dominican Republic, Luis Abinader provided remarks during the signing ceremony and Under Secretary Fernandez was also joined at the ceremony by U.S. Congressman Adriano Espaillat (NY-13) and representatives from the U.S. Department of Transportation.
The Agreement includes unrestricted capacity and frequency of services for both passenger and all-cargo carriers, open route rights, an open charter regime, self-handling provisions, and open code-sharing opportunities. The Agreement will enter into force following an exchange of diplomatic notes confirming that all necessary internal procedures for entry into force of the Agreement have been completed.
This Agreement with the Dominican Republic will expand our strong economic and commercial partnership, promote people-to-people ties, and create new opportunities for airlines, travel companies, and customers. Air carriers will be able to provide more affordable, convenient, and efficient air services to travelers and shippers, promoting tourism and commerce. The Agreement will also commit both governments to high standards of aviation safety and security.
The new Agreement builds on a framework of U.S. Open Skies agreements with over 135 other partners that enable U.S. air carriers to operate and expand flight networks beyond America's borders and connect the U.S. economy to growing markets.
