The Directorate General of Customs (DGA) and Aeropuertos Dominicanos Siglo XXI (AERODOM), will carry out the expansion and modernization of the DGA terminal for express mail at Las Americas International Airport, due to the significant increase in demand for the transport of goods.
This project is fundamental for setting the country on the road to a future in which the logistics chain is a preponderant economic sector, but, above all, it prioritizes national security, quality and transparency, according to a press release.
In addition, it will allow the terminal to operate continuously 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, which will benefit users and generate new job opportunities.
The general director of Customs, Eduardo Sanz Lovatón, said that the main objective is to take advantage of the
additional benefit of being a tourist country, with excellent air connections, to turn the nation into an air cargo hub. He further clarified that they will be centralizing operations, extending their service hours, 24 hours, 7 days a week and guaranteeing national security.
“It is important to say that, through 24/7 operations, the end user will obtain advantages such as: speeding up cargo clearance, better safeguarding cargo and improving traceability,” he said.
The head of the DGA indicated that a segment study was recently carried out on the hub, and among the relevant data it showed was that the Dominican Republic has one of the best air connections with the world in comparison with Central America and the Caribbean, based on the International Air Transport Association (IATA) connection index.
In the presence of the Vice President of the Republic, Raquel Peña, Sanz Lovatón showed that a survey of the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) ranked Las Americas International Airport as the second best, in terms of infrastructure-efficiency ratio for air cargo, only surpassed by Montevideo, Uruguay.
In this sense, Sanz Lovatón explained that only in March of this year there were 7,300 tons available for passenger flights, and it is possible to have more than 10,000 tons, which represents a great opportunity for the country.
“This type of project contributes to putting the country on the road to a future in which logistics constitutes a preponderant economic sector, while maintaining national security, quality and transparency,” he said.
In her opening remarks, the Vice President of the Republic, Raquel Peña, said that given the sustained growth of express cargo shipments by air, the country has been forced to streamline the way in which it is managed and in which we adapt to changes in trade and, in turn, formulate new strategies and logistics facilities for the management of these operations.
“Thank you yayo for so much in such a short time. The vision of President Luis Abinader is to consolidate the Dominican Republic as a world-class logistics hub, but not only that, our main objective, within the goal, is to become the main efficient and safe logistics hub in the region,” she said.
The official also congratulated DGA for its efficient management and highlighted its leadership at the head of the National Trade Facilitation Committee, chaired by its director general, Eduardo Sanz Lovatón, who has worked hand in hand with the Private Sector, and with the American Chamber of Commerce (AMCHAMDR) in its secretariat, promoting policies for trade facilitation and logistics development, achieving the completion of this important hub study, compliance with the measures of the facilitation agreement.
“That is why we are here today, leaving started the work of the construction of the new facility that will bring great benefits for our purpose and for the users who, day by day, place their trust in each of the companies involved to offer these services efficiently, thus strengthening our economy, increasing the generation of formal jobs and, thus, the possibilities of better quality of life for our people,” Peña pondered.
Mónika Infante, representative of Aerodom, expressed that they have fully assumed their commitments since they have made different investments to modernize and use the airports, being, in addition, today probably the largest contributor of income tax in the tourism sector of the country, having paid, in the fiscal year 2022, the sum of about 45 million dollars.
He assured that the José Francisco Peña Gómez airport, is the leader in air cargo transportation, in 2022 the terminals operated by AERODOM and Vinci Airports, mobilized 190 million pounds of cargo surpassing by 8% the year 2021.
“Our airport is the only one in the Dominican Republic that has the express mail service of the General Directorate of Customs, facilitating the import processes, and thanks to the works we are starting today, important results will be obtained,” said Aerodom’s CEO.
More about the project
Express airfreight is the most widely used mode of transportation in the world. Express carriers manage supply chains that span more than 220 countries and regions around the world.
The annual increase in cargo volumes, in the range of 15-18% in kilograms, has been the main reason behind the construction of the new terminal, to meet the growing demand and provide adequate storage space for mail carriers. Currently, depot 5 of the operating terminal receives cargo from 39 mail companies, but its space is very limited compared to the amount of parcels it handles.
The new building has been designed in accordance with DGA standards and will have specific areas for receiving goods, unloading, depalletizing, cages, administration and X-rays, which will allow these processes to be more fluid and efficient thanks to the increased space available. The new structure will allow a better distribution of personnel and technological resources, making the terminal’s operational flows more efficient.
The expansion and modernization of the express mail terminal at Las Americas International Airport is an important step for the economic development of our country; this project will bring great benefits to the logistics community in general. This is a determining factor for the Dominican Republic to consolidate its position as the region’s true logistics hub, encompassing both air and maritime transportation.
Source: Proceso.com
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