Dominican Rep readies tender to build airport for Cabo Rojo tourism complex

The Dominican Republic is preparing to launch a tender within a month to build an airport to serve the Cabo Rojo tourism project and its surrounding area in Pedernales province, the government announced.

The Cabo Rojo project involves the construction of a tourist complex with more than 3,000 hotel rooms, 300km from capital Santo Domingo on the southwest coast close to the border with Haiti, as well as associated infrastructure. 

“Pedernales is a reality… the airport will have its tender published during the next 30 days,” the minister of the presidential office, Joel Santos Echavarría, said during a TV interview on Monday. 

The project’s master plan published by the PPP promotion agency DGAPP, outlines the construction of two runways with capacity for 13 commercial flight operations per hour during peak times, and one terminal building (depicted in photo). 

The airport will also handle cargo flights. “It is forecast that the airports of Las Américas [Santo Domingo] and Punta Cana will maintain the lead in this market, and it is likely that the new airport of Pedernales handles the ‘medium tier’ sector,” the master plan states.  

The latest tender related to the airport was published on March 28 on procurement site Comprasdominicana and entails building a perimeter fence around the construction site. The deadline to submit proposals is May 15.

Meanwhile, on March 22 the government signed an agreement with Korea Airports Corporation to provide services related to the project. According to a release from the tourism ministry, the agreement is intended to “assess the construction of an airport in Pedernales” but does not specify the consulting services the company will provide. 

“The experience that the Republic of Korea has in terms of airports would be key at this stage. The construction of the Pedernales airport is one of the initiatives that will have the largest impact and contribute to the economic dynamics of the area, as it will provide an international connection and allow direct flights from different parts of the world,” Santos said during the signing ceremony.

The airport would also serve the southwestern provinces of Barahona, Independencia, Bahoruco and San Juan.

The plans also include an aqueduct to supply water to the complex, as well as renewable energy infrastructure, access roads and other basic infrastructure. According to DGAPP, the first stage of the Cabo Rojo project will require a US$2.2bn investment.