Punta Cana Airport celebrated 40 years of historic milestones and the formal inauguration of the expansion of Terminal B, in an event attended by the President of the Republic, Luis Abinader, as well as government officials, allies of the airport community, among others.
Inaugurated in 1983, it is the first private aerodrome for international commercial use in the world, handling 68% of the country’s tourist air traffic, connecting with 75 cities in 34 countries through 58 airlines, moving more than 9 million passengers and transporting more than 25 million kilos of cargo annually.
“Characteristic of the innovative spirit of its founders, Punta Cana Airport has maintained its commitment to innovation, which has allowed it to be one of the best airports in Latin America, with constant growth,” said Frank Elías Rainieri, president and CEO of Grupo Puntacana.
Airport development model
He added that “today, 40 years after our beginnings, and with more than 120 million passengers, Punta Cana Airport is a model of sustainable development that allows us to take on new investments, keeping us at the forefront and ahead of the growth curve of the tourism sector”.
He indicated that they continue to be the pioneers in business diversification, as part of the first and only MRO (Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul) workshop in the region as of 2025, and announced the creation of an Aeronautical University, contributing to strengthen an aeronautical ecosystem never before seen in the Caribbean.
He concluded by thanking the more than 17,000 direct and indirect employees of the Puntacana Group, as well as government and airport community partners, for being part of an important journey towards the socio-economic growth of the area.
The meeting was attended by José Ignacio Paliza, Minister of the Presidency; David Collado, Minister of Tourism; and Monsignor Jesús Castro, Bishop of the Diocese of Nuestra Señora de la Altagracia in Higüey.
On behalf of Grupo Puntacana, Frank Rainieri, founder and chairman of the board of directors; Haydée Rainieri, member of the board of directors; Paola Rainieri, Chief Marketing Officer; and Francesca Rainieri, Chief Financial Officer.
Terminal B
The expansion of Terminal B of the Punta Cana Airport has an investment of more than US$90 million, and will enable the handling of 5,000 passengers per hour and 4 million passengers per year. This project will cover an area of about 35 thousand m² and has seven boarding gates and seven air bridges.
The expansion was developed by Dominican engineers and architects, such as architect Antonio II Imbert and Eduardo Domínguez of the construction company Imbert Domínguez y Asociados, with the food court and VIP lounge designed by renowned designer Adriana Hoyos.
It is projected that, with the addition of Terminal B, the airport will exceed 11 million passengers annually, allowing it to meet the increase in demand expected in the area of 14,000 new hotel rooms in the coming years.
Terminal B is one of the most modern airport terminals in the region, with flagship amenities and services such as a VIP Lounge with a swimming pool and an impressive view of the runway, Fast Track service, and a modern food truck area with a wide gastronomic variety.
Airport Technology
Some of its new technological implementations include biometric smarth paths for agent-assisted check-in procedures, self-service kiosk and mobile technology with fast and secure biometric enrollment and registration, self-service baggage handling with biometric verification, single or double electronic self-service boarding gates, automated access and border control.
In addition, new self check-in kiosks with bag tag printing, an Explosive Detection System (EDS) at the security checkpoint and baggage carousel, new security screens, auto-gates, self service boarding, ABC kiosks in the immigration arrival area, and a self service bag drop will be implemented soon.
It also has flight self-check-in kiosks, e-gates migration, 10 state-of-the-art body scanners, 8 tomographic machines and 4 automated machines, making it one of the most modern in terms of equipment in Latin America.
Source: Arecoa.com
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