Salvatore Sciacchitanopresident of the Council of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), announced that the DR will host the ICAO air services negotiation event (ICAN 2025) that serves to provide a space where States, in the same place, can carry out negotiations of bilateral agreements on air services, substantially increasing the efficiency of the negotiation processes.
In that sense, José Ernesto Marte Piantinipresident of the Civil Aviation Board (JAC), said that “the celebration of ICAN-2025 in Dominican lands represents a great opportunity for our country. By attracting the interest of the 193 ICAO Member States, the Dominican Republic, due to its privileged geographical location, becomes the center of international attention, constituting a precious opportunity to show our potential as a destination in the Caribbean, to achieve a greater connectivity with other regions of the world not yet exploited and an increase in the flow of passengers and air operations to the country, as well as greater openness and access to international markets, the creation of new service offers and sources of jobs , and foreign exchange income.”
He explained that the country is experiencing a great opening and liberalization of traffic rights and has a regulatory framework that facilitates investment. In 2023 alone, we registered 132,998 air operations in entries and exits, which translates into direct and indirect income. estimates for the country of 16,139 million dollars.
«Likewise, 8,574 operations were approved under the Special Permit modality and a total of 8,016 charter Flights were authorized, of which 3,077 correspond to combined passenger and cargo operations and 4,939 to exclusive cargo operations, more than 130 new routes, and more. “Of 530 airlines operated to and from the Dominican Republic, all this shows a notable increase in air connectivity in the Dominican Republic,” he stated.
He also indicated that “during the course of these fifteen years there have been many achievements obtained by the States in the negotiations held within the framework of the ICAN Conference, but the greatest of them is making it possible for people of different races, traditions and customs , but with a common interest, the sustainable development of air transport, have been able to coincide in a single space, to strengthen air-commercial relations through negotiations between authorities and civil aviation delegations of each State, and conclude air services agreements, or memoranda of understanding.”
«In the case of the Dominican Republic, we must highlight that as a result of our participation in editions of ICAN, we have greatly benefited from the increase and strengthening of our commercial air relations with traditional and non-traditional destinations, which has allowed better air connectivity. for our nation,” he said.
He recalled that in the last ICAN held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, the entity held negotiation and consultation meetings with twelve 12 States, achieving the agreement of ten air services instruments with different States.
It should be noted that the ICAN conference has been highly praised by participating delegations as an efficient platform to carry out negotiations on air services.
Since its conception in 2008, 15 editions of ICAN have been held in various countries around the world, with the aim of promoting the liberalization of international air transport.
