Punta Cana International Airport

Punta Cana International Airport
Aeropuerto Internacional de Punta Cana
Summary
Airport typePrivate-owned, Public-use
Owner/OperatorGrupo Puntacana
ServesPunta Cana, Higüey, Bávaro
LocationPunta Cana, La Altagracia, Dominican Republic
Opened17 December 1983 (1983-12-17)
Hub forAir Century
Arajet[1]
Elevation AMSL40 ft / 12.2 m
Coordinates18°34′00″N 68°21′07″W / 18.56667°N 68.35194°W / 18.56667; -68.35194
Websitepuntacanainternationalairport.com
Map
PUJ/MDPC
Location of airport in Dominican Republic
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
08/26 10,171 3,100 Asphalt concrete
09/27 10,171 3,100 Asphalt concrete
Statistics (2024)
Total passengers10,105,713
Aircraft operations61,530
Source: Banco Central República Dominicana
1 Runway 08/26 Main runway.
2 Runway 09/27 back up runway.

Punta Cana International Airport (IATA: PUJ, ICAO: MDPC) is a privately owned commercial airport in Punta Cana, eastern Dominican Republic. The airport was built with open-air terminals and roofs covered in palm fronds. Grupo Puntacana built the airport, which was designed by architect Oscar Imbert, and inaugurated it in December 1983.[2] It is owned by Grupo Puntacana and became the first privately owned international airport in the world.[3]

The airport is the busiest in the Dominican Republic, and the second-busiest of the Caribbean, only behind Puerto Rico's Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport. In 2022, more than 8.3 million passengers (arrivals and departures combined) passed through the terminals that year, with almost 50,000 commercial aircraft operations.[4][5] In 2023, the airport accounted for 60% of all air arrivals in the Dominican Republic.[6] The airport serves 90 airports in 26 countries.[7]

History

Beginnings

The history of aviation in the Punta Cana region started in 1971, when Grupo Puntacana built the first hotel in the area, called "Punta Cana Club", along with a small airstrip. There were no terminals and no runway; it was just a flat piece of land. The only problem was that the area was very secluded from the rest of the Dominican Republic. Also, many more people were starting to go to Punta Cana for vacation, with more and more small cabins being built. Since there were no roads nor harbors, the only way to get into Punta Cana was by air.[2]

In the late 1970s a road was built to connect the area with the capital of La Altagracia Province, Higüey. Tourists from various countries started to come in. They had to pass through Las Américas International Airport in Santo Domingo, then take a short flight in a small plane to Punta Cana. The airstrip itself had significant problems, such as having a very short runway and still no terminal. This meant passengers would exit their plane and be directed onto a road to be picked up to ride to their hotel, which was inconvenient. Grupo PuntaCana knew it needed a real airport.

1980s

In January 1984, Punta Cana had its first international flight from San Juan, Puerto Rico, operated by the Puerto Rican airline, Prinair. The aircraft was a small double turbo propeller aircraft with 20 passengers. In 1984, the airport received 2,976 passengers.[3]

With a proper airport, many new hotels were built. As a result, this brought an increased demand to bring jet aircraft to Punta Cana, since the airport would have to accommodate more people. This led to the airport's first expansion in 1986. The runway was extended to 7,500 feet (2,300 m), and there was a small expansion in the check-in area of the terminal, along with the renovation of the terminal. The tarmac was also expanded to accommodate jet aircraft, and the control tower had new radar systems added to it. This expansion allowed many more aircraft to land at the airport. In 1987, the first route between Punta Cana and the United States began, with Miami International Airport.[2]

2000s

In 2000, after the completion of the expansion, the terminal was renovated and expanded to twice its original size to 6,500 square feet (600 m2). A long taxiway was added to prevent a collision on the runway, and the tarmac was expanded to fit six aircraft. This expansion was completed in 2001, and airline growth continued.

During this time, Punta Cana was drastically changing, with the addition of new hotels, malls, and infrastructure. Many people were flying to Punta Cana annually, and once again the airport was crowded by 2002. A new parking lot was built along with the new PuntaCana Village. By 2003, there was a small expansion of the terminal and the tarmac was expanded to allow seven aircraft to park. This was also the year the Grupo Puntacana had begun the planning of a second runway.

In 2004, Terminal 2 opened, the second terminal at the airport.[4] As many old charter carriers from the 1990s began to cease operations to the airport, each new year brought new airlines and destinations. Several prominent leisure carriers such as Transaero, Pullmantur Air, and Corsairfly started operations with large aircraft such as the Boeing 747.

2010s

In 2011, a new second runway was opened, which permitted more long-haul flights from countries like France, England, and Brazil with large planes such as the Boeing 747-400, the Boeing 777, and the Airbus A340.[8][9] With this expansion, the airport became the first in the Caribbean to have two runways longer than 10,000 feet. Along with the new runway, a new control tower, Terminal Approach Radar Control facility and a new Automated Weather Observation Station (AWOS) were all presented.[10]

In November 2014, Terminal B was officially inaugurated.[11][12] This terminal uses jet bridges, the first terminal at the airport to use them. The new terminal is also completely enclosed, unlike the other terminals at the airport.

In November 2017, a new VIP lounge opened, which included a pool.[13][14]

Facilities

Terminals

The airport has five terminals:[3]

  • International Terminals A and B – international commercial passenger travel
  • FBO Terminal – executive general aviation
  • National Terminal – serves national charter and general aviation flights
  • VIP Terminal – private terminal including an aircraft parking apron

Terminal A, the older terminal of the two international terminals, uses aircraft stairs for passengers to deplane and board aircraft with access for disabled people using wheelchair lifts. Terminal B was built with seven airbridges, three being for wide-body aircraft. This new terminal was completed in 2014 and can comfortably accommodate 6,500 travelers daily and over 2 million travelers annually. As of 2023, Terminal B was expanded with seven additional gates and three remote gates serving multiple airlines with a modern terminal expansion. Terminal B went from 7 gates to 14 gates with boarding bridges and 3 remote gates.[11]

U.S. preclearance

Plans were underway for a U.S. Customs and Border Protection preclearance station to be opened at the airport by the end of mid 2009;[15] however, this has not yet begun.[16] According to Frank Rainieri, president of Grupo Puntacana, negotiations have re-opened (as of June 2015) and he anticipates that this airport will be the first in Latin America to offer such preclearance service.[17] As of December 2020, the preclearance station is still planned, but is waiting to receive authorization from the Dominican Government to begin construction.[18]

Airlines and destinations

The following airlines operate regular scheduled and charter flights at Punta Cana International Airport:

AirlinesDestinations
Aerolíneas Argentinas Córdoba (AR),[19] Rosario,[20] Tucumán[20]
Aeroméxico Mexico City[21]
Air Canada Seasonal: Montréal–Trudeau,[22] Toronto–Pearson[23]
Air Canada Rouge Seasonal: Montréal–Trudeau,[22] Toronto–Pearson[23]
Air France Seasonal: Paris–Charles de Gaulle (resumes 13 January 2026)
Air Transat Montréal–Trudeau,[22] Québec City,[24] Toronto–Pearson[23]
Seasonal: Windsor
American Airlines Seasonal: Indianapolis,[25] Nashville,[25] Pittsburgh,[25] Raleigh/Durham[26]
Arajet Bogotá,[27] Buenos Aires–Ezeiza, Cancún, Cartagena,[27] Chicago–O'Hare,[28] Córdoba (AR),[29] Guayaquil,[30] Kingston–Norman Manley, Medellin–JMC,[27] Mexico City–AIFA, Miami, Montréal–Trudeau, Newark (begins 20 January 2026), Orlando/Sanford,[31] Quito,[30] Rosario (begins 16 June 2025),[32] San Juan,[33] Santiago de Chile, São Paulo–Guarulhos, Toronto–Pearson
Avelo Airlines Wilmington (NC)[34]
Seasonal: Hartford (ends 5 January 2026),[35] Raleigh/Durham[36]
Avianca Ecuador Quito[37]
Breeze Airways Seasonal: Raleigh/Durham (begins 4 March 2026)[38]
Discover Airlines Seasonal: Munich
Frontier Airlines Cincinnati
Gol Linhas Aéreas Seasonal: São Paulo–Guarulhos[39]
Iberojet Madrid[40]
Seasonal charter: Porto[41]
JetBlue Tampa[42]
JetSmart Colombia Medellin–JMC[43]
Liat Air Dominica,[44]
Neos Seasonal: Milan–Malpensa[45]
Southwest Airlines Nashville,[46] Orlando[47]
Seasonal: Houston–Hobby, St. Louis[48]
Spirit Airlines Baltimore,[49] Detroit,[50] Philadelphia (ends January 6th, 2026)[51]
Sun Country Airlines Seasonal: Milwaukee[52]
Sunrise Airways Port-au-Prince
TUI Airways Manchester[53]
Seasonal: Belfast-International,[54] Birmingham[55]
TUI fly Netherlands Amsterdam[56]
TUI fly Nordic Seasonal charter: Stockholm–Arlanda
United Airlines Denver[57]
WestJet Calgary,[58] Montréal–Trudeau,[22][59] Québec City,[59] Toronto–Pearson[23]
Seasonal: Bagotville,[60] Deer Lake,[60] Edmonton,[60] Fredericton,[60] Gander,[60] Halifax,[60] Hamilton (ON),[61] Kitchener–Waterloo,[60] London, Ontario,[60] Moncton,[60] Ottawa,[60] Regina,[60] St. John's,[60] Saskatoon,[60] Thunder Bay,[61] Winnipeg[60]
World2Fly Charter: Porto
Seasonal charter: Bratislava,[62] Prague

Statistics

Busiest international routes from PUJ (2024)[63]
Rank City Passengers Carriers
1 Toronto–Pearson, Canada 947,678 Air Canada, Air Canada Rouge, Air Transat, Arajet, Flair Airlines, Sunwing Airlines, WestJet
2 New York–JFK, United States 674,906 American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, JetBlue
3 Panama City–Tocumen, Panama 668,436 Copa Airlines
4 Montréal–Trudeau, Canada 592,420 Air Canada, Air Canada Rouge, Air Transat, Arajet, Sunwing Airlines
5 Miami, United States 487,870 American Airlines, LATAM Chile
6 Atlanta, United States 434,229 Delta Air Lines, Frontier Airlines
7 Charlotte, United States 374,629 American Airlines
8 Newark, United States 370,553 JetBlue, United Airlines
9 Bogotá, Colombia 359,210 Arajet, Avianca, Wingo
10 Lima, Peru 353,388 Arajet, LATAM Peru, Sky Airlines Peru

Accidents and incidents

  • On 22 May 2005, a Skyservice 767-300 suffered from a fracture in the upper fuselage and damaged landing gear after experiencing a hard landing and bouncing multiple times following a flight from Toronto. There were a few injuries but no fatalities among the 318 occupants of the aircraft and it was repaired and returned to service.[64]
  • On 13 October 2014, the engine of a Jetstream Bae 32 aircraft belonging to Air Century Airlines caught fire while landing after a charter flight from Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The airplane crew declared an emergency and landed the aircraft at 20:45 local time, after a 49-minute flight, but the plane was destroyed in a subsequent fire. There were no injuries among the 13 passengers and two crew members.[65]
  • On 10 February 2016, Orenair Flight 554 to Moscow Domodedovo Airport reported an engine fire and smoke in the cabin. The crew decided to turn around and land the aircraft, without dumping fuel, rather circling around the airport. Upon landing the overweight aircraft, the landing gear overheated and caught fire, and the aircraft was evacuated. There were no injuries among the 371 occupants of the Boeing 777 and it remained grounded at the airport for ten months, leaving in December 2016.[66]

See also

References

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