Grupo PUNTACANA to Open New Runway, Air Traffic Control Tower at Punta Cana International Airport

Grupo PUNTACANA to Open New Runway, Air Traffic Control Tower at Punta Cana International Airport
 
Punta Cana International Airport, the leading destination for travel in the Dominican Republic, will be inaugurating a new runway and Air Traffic Control tower with a ceremony on November 25.

The new facilities were built to support the robust growth of travel to the region and will increase aircraft capacity, streamline operations, and enhance Air Traffic Control operations at the country's busiest and fastest-growing airport.

The development of the runway and tower at the Punta Cana International Airport, which is the very first privately built, owned and operated international airport in the world, is an investment that is solely funded by Grupo PUNTACANA.

Punta Cana is the leading and fastest growing port of entry in the Dominican Republic and in the Caribbean. The new runway supports the growing demand for direct flights from major international cities such as New York, Chicago, Miami, Paris, London, Moscow, and Sao Paolo.

Traffic to Punta Cana International Airport (PUJ) has steadily grown since its opening in 1984.  The airport has enabled the rapid rate growth of tourism in the country. Currently, there are more than 4.5 million annual passenger movements in more than 15,000 commercial aircraft operations. The airport is on track for over 10 percent growth this year.

The new Runway 08-26 is 10,171 feet long and 150 feet wide. The new control tower is equipped with the most modern radio and air traffic control equipment in the Caribbean.  A new Terminal Approach Radar Control (TRACON) facility and a new Automated Weather Observation Station (AWOS) have also been built. This new facility also provides a back-up to the National Radar System located in Santo Domingo.

Punta Cana International Airport is owned and operated by Grupo PUNTACANA, which was founded in 1969 with the vision of a resort that protects and embodies the essence of the Dominican Republic's rich culture and scenery. The resulting world-class eco-chic luxury property, PUNTACANA Resort & Club, includes two hotels, golf courses, restaurants, lounges, yachting facilities, private estates, the international airport and ecological reserve.

The development of Grupo PUNTACANA dates back to 1969, when Dominican businessman and hotelier Frank R. Rainieri and the late Theodore W. Kheel, the prominent New York attorney and labor mediator, created a partnership to construct a resort and real estate community that respects the natural habitat of Punta Cana while offering a world-class vacation experience.