Aerodom projects 1.9 million seats for the winter season

Aeropuertos Dominicanos Siglo XXI (Aerodom), the concessionaire under the Vinci Airports group, projects close to 1.9 million international seats across its terminals for the 2026-2027 winter season. That figure is 4.9% higher than the previous winter and comes with more than 10,500 departing flights and eight new international destinations. Las Américas International Airport (SDQ) concentrates the bulk with more than 1.5 million seats, up 3.4% year over year, according to data published by Dominican Today.

The breakdown matters by market. Canada consolidates as the big winter driver with more than 230,000 seats scheduled across the Aerodom network, up 33%, roughly 58,000 additional seats. That push shows up especially in Puerto Plata, where capacity rises 8.8% with 28% more from Canada, and in Samaná, which posts the biggest percentage jump in the whole network at 29% and almost 40% more Canadian seats. At Las Américas, routes open new markets: Rome with ITA Airways (the first direct Santo Domingo-Italy flight), Montreal with Air Canada, Houston with United and Paramaribo with Fly Always, plus added capacity from JetBlue, American, Avianca, Iberia, Copa and Aerojet.

For hoteliers, this schedule is future bookings, not a headline. Every extra seat landing at SDQ, POP or AZS translates into available nights for resorts in Bávaro, Punta Cana, Samaná and the North Coast. The read is straightforward: if connectivity grows nearly 5% and source markets diversify (Europe with Rome and Madrid, the United States with Houston and Philadelphia, South America with Bogotá and Paramaribo), hotel inventory in those areas has arguments to hold rates in high season. Dominican tourism is in an expansion moment and every new route is a door opening onto a market with spending power.

All of this happens while Aerodom runs an investment plan at Las Américas that includes a new passenger terminal with RD$24 billion, rehabilitation of the main runway and an automated baggage handling system. Infrastructure follows volume: more flights demand more operational capacity and a smoother arrival experience, and that is also an asset for a destination that pays tourism taxes and generates formal jobs in provinces like La Altagracia, Puerto Plata and Samaná.

It remains to be seen how the hotel plant responds this winter. The manageable challenge is matching the new seat supply with quality product, well-worked rates and distribution that does not undersell the season. Worth watching the load factors airlines report in January and February, and whether those eight new routes hold up for a second winter. With the connectivity being built, the Dominican Republic positions itself as the Caribbean's natural platform for the Canadian and European markets.