Puntacana Group Executive affirms Dominican Republic has potential as a logistics hub
SANTO DOMINGO. -The Director of Landside Operations and Cargo of the Punta Cana International Airport, Rafael Smith, considered that for Dominican Republic serve as a point of load dissemination everybody has the challenge overcome instability and uncertainty created by the situation China- United States and, continue working with the implementation of measures which facilitate cargo handling to and from the country.
The executive of the Puntacana Group understands that the country has potential as a logistics hub, so a greater promotion of national services should be made, and greater facilities are granted to support the future growth that will be generated in this sector.
When giving the talk "Importance of Air Freight Transport in the vision of the Logistic Hub", in the Instituto Tecnológico de Santo Domingo (INTEC), Smith said that within the opportunities of the Punta Cana airport is the use of connectivity and the creation of the logistics center, a project under development.
Smith pointed out to the students of Engineering in Logistics and Transport of INTEC, that the human resource training in the logistics area it is essential. "Nowadays it is difficult to get trained personnel, therefore, there are opportunities that through the Logistics Cluster we are promoting for the development of the talent that we urgently need".
He stressed that, in 2017, 50,618,497 tons of cargo were mobilized worldwide, and cited Hong Kong, with an 4.3% of cargo, Memphis (3.7%), Shanghai (3.2%), Incheon (2.5%) and Anchorage (2.3%), as the main airports that led the top
As to Punta Cana International AirportSmith said that between 2014 and 2018 the total load moved was 127,104,220 kilos; exports represented 87,725,575 kilos, import 23,069,644 kilos and cargo in transit 16,308,999 kilos.
Smith said that only in 2018, by that airport, 33 moved millions of kilos of cargo in export, import and cargo transit, and exports represented US $ 51 million.
“Punta Cana is the airport with the highest air traffic in the Dominican Republic and has the greatest connectivity in Latin America, therefore, we want to enhance that part and carry out cargo logistics so that Dominican and South American products reach the whole world, and with it exporters open a market, "said Smith.
Some of the export products are aubergine, chili peppers, molondrones, green beans, pineapple, melon, milky, chinola, tobacco; spare parts, industrial and technological. Meanwhile, imported products are flowers, consumable and medical material, pharmaceutical products, spare parts; and the transit products are flowers, tobacco for water pipes, consumable and medical material and pharmaceutical products.
The executive said that will take advantage of the empty belly spaces (capacity in the luggage), because tourists travel with little luggage. "The 60% of that belly is available for loading, and at a certain time of summer or winter we can have 380,000 kilos available in belly to take cargo anywhere in the world. "
Smith explained that perishable products have a very short life span and therefore need proper handling, and above all control of the cold chain, so as not to affect the product and maintain the business.
"The chain of cold handling comes from the source until it reaches its final destination, and is one of the most delicate processes in air cargo handling," he said.
About the Punta Cana airport
The Punta Cana International Airport (PUJ) connects to the Dominican Republic with more than 64 cities in 26 countries around the world and 90 airports worldwide. Also, move more than 7.9 million international passengers annually, close to the 67% the visitors that arrive to the country.
What makes it, according to Smith, makes it the first private international airport in the world, the one with the highest passenger traffic in the country and the greatest connectivity in the Caribbean.