By the Caribbean Journal staff
The Dominican Republic’s Punta Cana International Airport has resumed normal operations following the passage of Hurricane Irma, it announced Thursday.
The airport is home to the Caribbean’s most popular individual tourism destination by volume.
Irma spent the early hours of Thursday off the coast of Punta Cana without causing major damages, tourism officials said.
The district’s hotel sector reported no major damages.
The first new flight arrived in Punta Cana from Buenos Aires, bringing in 130 travelers at 10:15 AM, the first of 42 scheduled flights.
Those flights included major carriers including JetBlue, Delta, Air Canada, American Airlines and Southwest Airlines.
Airport management said in a statement that they would continue to confirm more flights as Irma moves farther away from the area.