AERODOM fined US$5 million after electrical failure at AILA

Santo Domingo.- The Airport Commission held an extraordinary meeting on Tuesday to analyze the causes of last Sunday’s electrical failure at José Francisco Peña Gómez International Airport.

A preliminary report from an inter-institutional investigative committee determined that the outage was caused by the collapse of a medium-voltage cell-disconnector assembly in the northern terminal, along with the failure of the backup circuit. Although the airport remained operational thanks to the national grid and emergency generators, the incident mainly disrupted services in the north terminal.

As a result, Aeropuertos Dominicanos Siglo XXI (Aerodom) was ordered to pay the Dominican State US$5 million and cover damages to passengers and airlines, in line with its concession contract obligations. The Commission also instructed Aerodom to deliver an official report and updated action plan within 48 hours. Additionally, the investigation recommended a full structural intervention of the airport’s electrical system within three months to improve reliability and crisis response.