Salazar, Espaillat Back U.S.-DR Open Skies Agreement

Representative Maria Elvira Salazar (R-FL) and Representative Adriano Espaillat (D-NY) are calling for an efficient United States – Dominican Republic Open Skies Agreement. Reps. Salazar and Espaillat, co-chairs of the Congressional Friends of the Dominican Republic Caucus, sent a letter to the Biden Administration, affirming their support for the agreement as well as calling for a swift finalization.

In the letter, both noted the potential benefits of a modernized agreement. This includes flights and flight routes between Dominican Republic and the U.S. Moreover, benefits include lower airfare costs for travelers and increased tourism and economic growth for both countries.

Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL), a fellow member of the caucus, signed the letter among others.

In a statement, Rep. Salazar informed that “high airfare prices and limited flights are making it difficult for the thousands of Dominican Americans who call Miami home to visit their families in the Dominican Republic.” She continued, “As co-chair of the Friends of the Dominican Republic Caucus, I am proud to join my colleagues in urging the Biden Administration to expand opportunities to increase flights and lower airfare prices by finalizing a modern Open Skies agreement with the Dominican Republic,” she added.

Rep. Espaillat echoed Salazar’s remarks, citing that his constituents have "regularly expressed their frustration with the current state of limited flight routes and exorbitant prices on flights from the United States to the Dominican Republic, which often prevent them from traveling to visit their family and loved ones.”

With a modernized Open Skies Agreement, Espaillat affirms that it “would provide new flight options, lower fares, and better service among more airlines in the market, supporting the booming tourism economy and the deserving Dominican American families who wish to travel to and from their nation of origin.”