punta cana airport caribbean
News

Punta Cana Airport, the Caribbean’s Busiest Air Hub, Is Making Changes

By: Alexander Britell - February 4, 2020

The Caribbean’s busiest airport is planning major improvements to its customer experience this year, headlined by the implementation of U.S. Customs and Immigration PreClearance. 

Punta Cana, which is the most popular destination in the Dominican Republic and the wider Caribbean region, is also making changes to its inbound immigration experience, with the implementation of Auto Gates for passengers with biometric passports. 

That means travelers from countries like the United States, Canada, Spain, the United Kingdom and France can move through passport control in less than 10 seconds – a major improvement upon what has long been one of the weak points in the Caribbean travel experience regionally. 

The launch of PreClearance means U.S. immigration, customs, agriculture inspection and TSA screenings occur before a traveler boards his or her flight — meaning that when you arrive in the United States, you don’t have to go through customs. 

It makes Punta Cana one of just a handful of airports in the region with U.S. PreClearance, along with Aruba’s Queen Beatrix International Airport and Lynden Pindling International Airport in Nassau. 

“Over the years, we have continued to add and adapt the systems at the Punta Cana International Airport to make the airport experience for travelers as seamless and comfortable as possible,” said Rafael Alberto Smith, Director of Operations at Punta Cana International Airport. “We are continuing to enhance the time travelers’ spend in our airport with the additions of the new Auto Passport Control for all arrivals, Pre-Clearance for all direct departing flights to the US and our silent policy in our terminals.”

The new Auto Gates will launch in the first quarter of this year, according to airport officials, joined by other new amenities like a “peaceful nursing room for mothers.”

The airport, which has continued to expand over the years since its launch in 1983, has regularly been at the forefront of regional airport design, most notably with the recent debut of the Caribbean’s only VIP lounge with a pool. 

punta cana airport caribbean
The runway-facing pool at the airport’s VIP lounge, the only of its kind in the Caribbean.

The airport, which is set within the 15,000-square-foot Puntacana Resort and Club campus, is the biggest in the Caribbean by passenger volume, eclipsing 8 million passengers each year. 

It’s part of a broader plan to increase traffic at the airport, with a goal of 10 million passengers served this year. 

The airport handles almost 70 percent of the Dominican Republic’s international passenger traffic. 

Punta Cana all-inclusive resorts have long set the standard in the Caribbean’s, and the destination continues to be a significant hub for hotel investment. 

Popular Posts w punta cana

A New All-Inclusive W Hotel Is Opening This Year in Punta Cana 

The first-ever all-inclusive W Hotel in the Caribbean is opening this year in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, Caribbean Journal has learned.  The hotel, part of a broad expansion for parent company Marriott International, is on the list of expected 2024 […]


Why Grenada Is a New Caribbean Luxury Hotspot

beach house silversands

From its world-renowned chocolate to its pristine beaches to a region-leading focus on sustainability, Grenada is as fascinating and unique as destination as you’ll find in the Caribbean.  But in the last few years, the lush Eastern Caribberan island has […]


5 Adults-Only Resorts to Visit Right Now in the Caribbean 

galley bay

Sometimes you just want that extra degree of serenity, of privacy, of seclusion. There is a reason, after all, that adults-only resorts are booming in popularity, particularly in the Caribbean: travelers want to know that when they arrive, they know […]


Related Posts nobu los cabos

Frontier Is Adding a New Nonstop Flight to Los Cabos 

It’s one of the most popular hotel destinations in Mexico: Los Cabos, which has seen a broad boom in recent years with the entry to market of brands like Nobu, Thompson, Marriott and Waldorf Astoria, among others.  That has led, […]


This Former Caribbean Rockefeller Resort Is for Sale

caribbean rockefeller resort

In 1986, Laurance Rockefeller, the founder of Rock Resorts, developed 27 acres of prime beachfront land into what was for decades one of the sought after places to stay in the Caribbean. Now, the four-star, 150-room resort is for sale, […]


Vote for the 2024 Caribbean Green Awards, from Green Energy to Sustainable Hotels

caribbean green

Hotels serving organic food grown by local farmers. Airports powered by large solar fields. Pristine coastlines protected by marine parks. Real estate developments fueled by clean energy. It’s an exciting time for the Green movement in the Caribbean, a region […]


SUBSCRIBE!

Sign up for Caribbean Journal's free newsletter for a daily dose of beaches, hotels, rum and the best Caribbean travel information on the net.


No. Thank You