Lawmakers willing to review AERODOM contract due to delays in AILA works

Elsa Cesilia Feliz
4 Min Read
Santo Domingo. – Legislators from the National Congress referred this Monday to the contract Aeropuertos Dominicanos Siglo XXI (Aerodom), given the warning from President Luis Abinader to go to court if Vinci Airports does not begin the construction of the new terminal of the Las Américas International Airport (AILA). The Senate President Ricardo De los Santos indicated that, in light of the delay in the start of the airport modernization works, the Senate does not rule out summoning the top executives of the company Vinci Airports to appear before the legislative body and offer clear explanations about the causes of the non-compliance and the real status of the commitments made.

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“We fully identify with the position of the President of the Republic and even more, in my capacity as President of the Senate I am willing to make use of article 93 numeral 2 of the Constitution, but in addition to what is established by law 84-25 on oversight and control of the Senate, where we can and will invite AERODOM to explain why the delay in the start of the works”, explained De los Santos. For his part, Senator Antonio Marte questioned the fulfillment of the airport concession contract by AERODOM, assuring that the expected results are not observed, which is why he considered it correct to formally investigate and demand that the commitments made be respected.

“Both the Senate and the government, if we move forward with that contract, we are going to request a review. I always see that we are in the same space. I haven’t seen the results,” stated Marte.

Likewise, Senator Dagoberto Adames maintained that Aerodom has historically not fulfilled the commitments made since the beginning of the concession, recalling that both the first operators and the current French administrators announced millionaire investments that, in his opinion, never materialized. He affirmed that the improvements that have been made have been minimal and executed “reluctantly”, only under pressure, which evidences —according to him— a pattern of repeated non-compliance in airport management and did not rule out that the contract be rendered null and void if the national interest so requires. “It’s a pain in the ass that they do things, pushed. I believe that what the president has to do is send to the National Congress to review the contract and if we have to go back on that, let it be done,” he pointed out. It should be remembered that President Luis Abinader, during a meeting with opinion leaders, warned that the Government does not rule out going to the courts if the concessionaire does not comply with what was agreed. In that context, he explained that the renewal of the operation contract for the Dominican airports to the French company was granted precisely to guarantee them the time and the necessary conditions to execute the committed improvements; however, despite the dialogues held, the agreed deadlines have not been respected by its executives.
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