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BiggerDominican government approves airport tax hike
Santo Domingo.- The Dominican government has approved a passenger airport tax increase, set to take effect on November 1, 2025, for all travelers entering or leaving the country through its international airports, whether publicly or privately operated. This adjustment is part of the terms established in the 2023 concession renewal between the government and Aeropuertos Dominicanos Siglo XXI (Aerodom), which includes the construction of a new terminal at Las Américas International Airport (AILA).
Under the new rates:
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The infrastructure usage fee will rise by US$1.10, from US$19.67 to US$20.77.
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A baggage handling fee will increase from US$3.32 to US$3.50 per passenger.
These charges apply to both commercial and charter flights, and passengers will now share part of the financial burden for the airport expansion project, which is expected to cost over US$250 million and be completed by 2028, doubling AILA’s capacity to 4 million passengers annually.
Despite having some of the lowest base airport fees in Latin America—behind only Brazil (US$11) and Belize (US$15)—the Dominican Republic ranks among the least competitive countries when factoring in all airfare-related taxes and charges, according to the ALTA and Amadeus Competitiveness Index.
From January to April 2025, Dominican airports handled 6.85 million passengers, a 2.6% increase year-over-year. However, AILA saw a decline of 9.8% in traffic during the same period, raising concerns about the terminal’s current competitiveness amid regional travel trends.
Perhaps it’s receiving less traffic because AILA is an outdated airport and lacks quality service and efficiency.
All Luis government does is steal. We already have the highest taxes in the world and he won’t stop!
This line says it all: “the Dominican Republic ranks among the least competitive countries when factoring in all airfare-related taxes and charges“
I used to bring my family to vacation in the DR two times a year in the past but now it’s rare that we even go once. What the government doesn’t understand is that for a tourist, a trip starts with doing flight plans. People don’t pick out their food first or book their activities first etc. They need to get to the island and that means booking your airfare first. So the first thing that’s seen is the ticket cost and for me (from NY), the best-case fares are between $400-$500 due to all the taxes and fees vs a ticket I can get to many other Caribbean islands or Central/South American destinations for $250-300. Multiply that by the five people in my family and it’s easy to make the choice to another location.
What the government should be doing IMO is not tax & fee the heck out of the traveler up-front. Make it easy and inexpensive to get to the island in the first place. Once they’re in the DR, they’ll be spending their money in all sorts of other ways whether it be food, accommodation, activities, rentals, gifts etc. But that money will never be spent if they choose somewhere else.