The air transport agreement or Open skies The recently signed agreement between Canada and the Dominican Republic is an “important step” in bilateral relations and will have a “direct impact” in various areas, such as a greater ability to protect users from “unfair price increases,” said the Dominican ambassador to CanadaMichelle Cohen.
Cohen, in conversation with Free Daily, reiterated some of the benefits that the agreement provides for both nations, including the release of air frequencies, the possibility of integrating new airlines, it also grants air traffic rights; reinforces the commitment and guarantees of aircraft safety, better service and ground assistance for aircraft from or in transit to Canada.
Another of the benefits that the government has highlighted after the agreement is the reduction in the cost of air flights, an approach that Cohen corroborates by ensuring that “a greater supply… demand has to be encouraged by lowering prices”.
According to the diplomat, the agreement also encourages airlines to offer promotional packages, as well as look after the interests of users, such as, for example, in the face of unfair increases in the price of tickets.
“Governments have a much greater capacity to protect the consumer and to have the ability to verify prices that affect the final consumer, that is, that are increased unfairly,” Cohen explained.
“Those restrictions, which are generally given by the abuse of dominant positionboth States will be able to intervene in them,” the ambassador emphasized.
When does it go into effect?
The agreement, signed on February 2, is waiting for both countries to carry out the process of observations and ratification, which will give the “entry force to vigor”. Said process corresponds to the Canadian parliament and the Dominican Congress, explained Cohen.
“Each country has its time and its process”said the diplomat when asked about the possible date on which the agreement could be implemented.
The signing of the agreement Open skies between the Dominican Republic and Canada is a “manifestation that the foundations of trust have been laid in diplomatic relations” in the Dominican Republic and a “joint work” oriented towards that objective, Cohen pointed out, without intending to reduce the efforts of each actor involved in a process, which, according to what they pointed out, took about 14 years.
According to data from the Presidency of the Republic, between 2016 and 2021 The commercial exchange between Canada and the Dominican Republic amounted to 4,123.6 million dollarsof which 74% corresponded to Dominican exports.
Regarding tourism, Canada is the second issuing country of foreign visitors to the Dominican Republic, second only to the United States. In January 2023, there were 122,000 Canadians entering the country, for 16% of all tourists arriving in the country.
