The vulnerability of the civil aviation system is not unique to the Dominican Republic; it mirrors the same pattern experienced by other developing countries, where economic growth has translated into a rapid expansion of the air sector. However, due to institutional deficiencies, that expansion has later resulted in an increase in aviation accidents.
Our pilot organizations have held countless meetings and engagements with government officials. These meetings are always very cordial, with sincere exchanges of ideas and the establishment of plans and follow-up topics. Generally, officials are open to applying the proposals and ideas we present; however, when it comes time for implementation, the common denominator is inaction.
Government
The administration of President Abinader has focused on aviation growth through counting the number of tourists entering and leaving the country, but little has been done to improve operational safety within the system itself, already showing significant weaknesses in legislation, operational safety, education, and labor rights.
We have a poorly drafted civil aviation law, focused on punishing those who make mistakes and, in doing so, eliminating any possibility of collaboration (contradicting all recommendations from international organizations and best practices from more advanced countries). We are still in diapers on matters as basic as the publication of operational safety statistics (not because they are not produced, but because there is a mindset that they should not be published). Issues such as aircraft accident investigations—generally the foundation from which system improvements emerge—are politicized and used to advance personal careers rather than to improve the system.
At the Dominican Institute of Civil Aviation (IDAC), we have an administration that, although it has been willing to listen, has not made major changes to improve operational safety at the speed required. Incident after incident, we have observed that matters are handled in a very ad-hoc manner, without a true operational safety structure to follow up on issues and guide a modern safety policy (incredibly, IDAC does not have a director of operational safety). Likewise, two years after changes to the aviation law that mandate IDAC to create its own aircraft accident investigation office, this still has not been done.
In other organizations such as the Airport Department (DA) or the Aircraft Accident Investigation Commission (CIAA), the story is similar: they agree with the problems identified, they agree with the proposals presented, but nothing is done about them.
General Aviation
In this segment of the aviation system, we experience the same long-standing problems, exacerbated by sector growth under the same disorder as before. We have the most expensive general aviation fuel (100LL) in the region, we suffer constant supply problems (with no investigation into them), and the government prioritizes opening fixed-base operator (FBO) stations for general aviation while allowing them to violate the rules by charging exorbitant fees to users, without even a cost breakdown.
We face problems in IDAC’s licensing department due to arbitrariness and poor handling of licensing processes; we do not have enough hangars for the number of general aviation aircraft in the country; and the Specialized Airport and Civil Aviation Security Corps (CESAC) continues to be a headache for pilots, as each airport security chief imposes their own rules.
Proposals
Our proposals across the different organizations we belong to have always been very simple: follow international regulations and replicate the example of more advanced systems, such as that of the United States.
We have proposed:
- Creating an aviation commission in both chambers of Congress, or assigning the topic to existing commissions.
- Amending the civil aviation law to create a professional pilots’ association, eliminate fines, change the structure of the CIAA, and ease the entry of foreign professionals.
- Replacing the CIAA leadership with trustworthy professionals who will finally publish accident reports—such as the Helidosa accident—from a professional standpoint and with the depth such analysis deserves.
- Making changes to the e-ticket program so that elderly people or those without internet connectivity are not denied boarding at foreign airports and can complete the process upon arrival in the Dominican Republic.
- Creating a national development plan to serve as the main guide for the annual plans of the different civil aviation organizations—a plan that includes elements such as collaboration, education, and investment.
- Adopting best practices such as U.S. programs for whistleblower protection, ASAP, LOSA, HIMS, PRD, and FAAST, all focused on collaboration with organizations representing pilots and industry professionals.
- Replacing the team of international advisors who have been at IDAC for years, as they have largely promoted punitive regulatory philosophies that cause significant harm to operational safety.
These are just some of the proposals we have presented to public institutions in the aeronautical sector. Much remains to be done to modernize the system and bring it to a point of stability where its exponential growth is reflected in improved operational safety. If we continue on the current path, we will repeat the same mistakes made by other developing countries and will see a significant increase in aviation incidents and accidents.
This article was featured in the spanish aviation weekly column “hablan los pilotos” by Francisco Díaz, in the Diario Libre USA edition on January 7th, 2026, link: Estado de la aviación civil dominicana y sus retos para este 2026
