Chamber of Deputies passes new civil aviation law

Santo Domingo.- The Chamber of Deputies has passed a law modifying the country’s civil aviation legislation, previously approved by the Senate. This legislation now awaits the Executive’s decision for promulgation or veto.

The new law aims to modernize the current framework on civil aviation, covering aspects such as the use of drones in national airspace, air operators, air navigation, aeronautical meteorology, aerodrome operators, and training programs for flight instructors, among other areas. This update aligns with international standards, the Chamber stated in a release.

The initiative, reviewed by a special commission, received support and favorable votes from various party groups, who agreed on the necessity of compliant legislation to meet international organization requirements. This compliance will help the Dominican Republic maintain its category one status in civil aviation.

Alfredo Pacheco, President of the Chamber of Deputies, emphasized the deputies’ commitment to approving the legislation before it was presented to the plenary for consideration.

Napoleón López Rodríguez, president of the special commission that studied the initiative, reported that the International Civil Aviation Board mandated the Dominican Republic to update its civil aviation laws or risk losing category one status, which would prevent Dominican aircraft from flying to the US. He noted that the international body issued this order 45 days ago, and the update has been completed just 12 days before the deadline.

The Chamber of Deputies will continue its legislative work on this matter next Tuesday and Wednesday.