Santo Domingo.- Eddy Rodríguez, President of the Dominican Association of Aviation Professionals (Asopadom), has raised concerns about ongoing violations of Law 491-06 on Civil Aviation in the Dominican Republic, particularly regarding the hiring of qualified national personnel.
Rodríguez highlighted that the law permits the hiring of foreign workers only when there is a lack of qualified local personnel, and these foreign workers should focus on training local staff. However, he pointed out that many Dominican pilots are forced to seek employment abroad because they are not given opportunities in their own country.
Rodríguez also accused Rodolfo Victoria, the head of Airlines at the Dominican Aviation Institute (IDAC), of being a major violator of the regulations. He claimed that Victoria has allowed a Dominican airline to employ 100% foreign personnel, thereby violating not only Law 491-06 but also the Labor Code and Immigration Law.
He called on the authorities to investigate these violations, which he claims have been ongoing since 2015 due to the misuse of power by public officials responsible for enforcing the regulations.