Spanish
Santo Domingo. – Passengers affected by the delays and cancellations of flights that occurred on Sunday at the Las Américas International Airport (AILA) will be entitled to compensation, after the Airport Commission ordered that the concessionaire Aeropuertos Dominicanos Siglo XXI (Aerodom) assume the economic costs generated.
The measure was taken after the preliminary report attributed the blackout to the collapse of the medium-voltage cell-switch in the north terminal and the lack of availability of the backup circuit. The failure left a large part of the facilities without power for several hours, affecting more than 40 international flights and causing thousands of travelers to be stranded.You may be interested in: http://Comisión Aeroportuaria ordena a Aerodom pagar US$ 5 millones por fallo eléctrico en el AILA
According to a source, the airlines will be responsible for channeling their passengers' claims, while Aerodom must respond for the expenses derived from the contingency. In addition, the Airport Commission imposed a fine of five million dollars on the concessionaire in favor of the Dominican State. The entity also ordered Aerodom to execute, within three months, a structural intervention in the airport's electrical system, as well as deliver the plans and an official report of the failure within 48 hours, and strengthen its crisis management protocols. The statement clarified that runway and control tower operations were never interrupted, as these areas had an alternative power system, which allowed landings and takeoffs to be maintained normally during the emergency.
