AERODOM, the operator of Presidente Juan Bosch International Airport (AZS) and part of the VINCI Airports network, has entered into an agreement with the Ecological Foundation Bahía Príncipe (Eco-Bahía) to extend its environmental conservation program. This initiative aims to ensure the protection of the leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) and other marine species along the northeast coast of the Dominican Republic for the next five nesting seasons.
The agreement includes the establishment of a permanent exhibition space at El Catey Airport. This space will feature an explanatory sculpture and an interactive wall designed to educate passengers about the coastal ecosystem of the Samaná region. Additionally, AERODOM will provide a field office to support biologists and technicians from Eco-Bahía, while the main monitoring center for turtle nests will continue to operate in the town of Los Yayales.
The program will involve ongoing monitoring of nesting sites on the beaches of Nagua, La Majagua, Cosón, and the coastal area adjacent to the airport infrastructure. Data from the previous nesting season indicate a significant decrease in the rate of nest poaching at Bahía Escocesa. The poaching rate declined from 95% in 2024 to 29.6% in 2025, and further to 7.7% in 2026, resulting in the successful release of 843 leatherback turtle hatchlings, a species classified as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
Cyril Girot, CEO of AERODOM, emphasized the company’s commitment to environmental stewardship. “Protecting the leatherback turtle is part of our responsibility towards the environment where we operate. The results of the past year show that, when we join forces with expert organizations and the communities, we can change the story of a critically endangered species,” he stated. Girot added that the partnership with Eco-Bahía reflects AERODOM’s vision of intertwining airport operations with the protection of the Dominican Republic’s natural heritage.
Isabel Piñero, president of Eco-Bahía, described the agreement as a crucial step for coastal and marine conservation in the country. “This agreement gives us the stability we need to keep looking after the beaches of Samaná and Nagua season after season, and to do so hand in hand with the communities that live alongside the turtles,” she said. Piñero acknowledged the joint efforts with AERODOM as a commitment to the nation’s biodiversity.
The initiative will also encompass environmental education workshops in schools located in Gran Estero, La Majagua, Los Yayales, and Matancitas, along with training sessions for airport staff and local fishing communities. AERODOM currently holds the concession for six airports in the Dominican Republic, under a contract that extends until 2060.
