Last week's deadly crash of a charter plane off the Dominican Republic has renewed concerns about air safety in the popular Caribbean tourist destination.
In 1993, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration barred airlines licensed by the Dominican Republic from flying to or from the United States, saying the country didn't meet international aviation safety standards.The ban was made public in 1994, when the FAA announced that over the previous three years, it had halted U.S. operations of 17 foreign airlines from nine countries. It said the countries didn't meet standards for safety regulations and enforcement set by the International Civil Aviation Organization, an arm of the United Nations.
Alas Nacionales, whose leased Boeing 757 crashed into the Atlantic Ocean with 189 people on board late Tuesday, was one of the airlines affected. The ban on the Dominican Republic remains in place, FAA spokesman Bob Hawk said Friday.
Gary Stoller, who investigates airline safety for Conde Nast Traveler magazine, said the country has been criticized for lax enforcement of aviation standards.
Dominican carriers get around the FAA ban and fly in the United States under so-called "wet leases," where an airline leases the entire flight operation from another company - including aircraft, crew, maintenance and insurance. The other company must be from a country approved by the FAA.
Also, the banned airlines still provide most of their countries' domestic and international service. Travelers in the Caribbean, South America and Africa often have no alternative but to use the carriers, Stoller said.
This week's tragedy came just as Dominican officials were hoping to win back certification for their carriers to fly to the United States.
Lt. Col. Manuel Mendez Segara, a top aviation official, said Dominicans have worked with the FAA for 21/2 years to bring safety procedures up to FAA standards. They were doing so well that U.S. officials wanted to use their new regulatory structure as a model for other barred nations, he said.
After the FAA ban was imposed in early 1993, the Dominican Civil Aeronautics Office revoked the operating licenses of 16 passenger and cargo airlines and suspended the licenses of 10 other carriers. It said they didn't comply with international aviation standards. Alas was one of the airlines affected, the Dominican agency said at the time.
Dominican officials said Friday Alas stopped operating for financial reasons. Vicente Estrella, an aviation agency spokesman, said Alas' license was suspended in August 1993 because its financial problems could affect the safety of its operations.
Estrella said the tiny carrier resumed flying only two months ago, and under new ownership - the Turkish carrier Birgenair and Dominican investors.