Punta Cana – After the formal and successful inauguration of the expansion of Terminal B of the Punta Cana airport, the Puntacana Group is moving on to renovate Terminal A to adapt it to the new standards, thus preparing to receive a greater volume of passengers that they project for the coming years.
In this sense, the Director of Operations of Landside of Punta Cana airport, Alberto Smith, explained that after passing the conceptual phase, since they have to carry out the work gradually, they are working on reviewing the expansion and remodeling plans. The intervention points have been identified to start the process this year, 2024.
He informed arecoa.com that the work to elevate Terminal A to a higher level will take about three years. “It is a terminal that is not going to be new, but we have to work on the passenger, and this makes it a little more complex and less easy to intervene, but we are clear about what we want, and we are determining the times and amount of execution, and then a clear date of when it will be 100% renovated,” Recalled.
Smith explained that the new process, which is almost beginning, is critical because “we have been evolving more and the terminal above has been a little outdated” since the new Terminal B focuses on comfort, expansion, height, and a different decoration “because we must go with the times.”
“The times of the artisanal airport that we once had no longer exist, literally as it was, but we do maintain the identity of the Punta Cana airport and above all because we have to respond to the need of the passenger who tells us what he requires when traveling,” he stressed.
As for the arrangements, which coincide with the increase in airport passengers, the executive said, “We are prepared to meet the growing demand and stay ahead of the curve in the airport industry.”
Smith indicated that they estimate a growing demand for passengers, so by the end of 2024, an increase of one million to one million 200 thousand in passenger traffic is expected in the terminal compared to last year, 2023. “Last year, we closed at 9.1 million (in and out), and this year, we project 10.2 or 10.3 million passengers.”
Regarding the airlines that operate at the airport, he indicated that they remain the same, although they are increasing their routes. “That’s the important thing: We have solidity in the airlines we manage by extending their operations. The novelty at the Punta Cana airport is the integration of Air Century into the inventory,” he said.