Airports & aviation
When Are Dominican Republic Airports Busiest? Month by Month at PUJ, SDQ, LRM, STI and POP
Each Dominican airport has its own busy months. Punta Cana (PUJ) is busiest in March, December and July. Santo Domingo (SDQ) and Santiago (STI) peak in July and December, when Dominicans living abroad fly home. Puerto Plata (POP), La Romana (LRM) and Samaná (AZS) are winter airports, busiest from December to March. September is the quietest month everywhere. These figures come from the Central Bank's official monthly arrival counts for 2025 and January to September 2026.
- Published
- the Transekur team
- 4 min read
- Airports & aviation
| Month | PUJ Punta Cana | SDQ Santo Domingo | STI Santiago | POP Puerto Plata | LRM La Romana | AZS Samaná |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 492 | 218 | 91 | 54 ★ | 14.2 ★ | 6.6 |
| Feb | 468 | 176 | 79 | 51 | 12.5 | 6.5 |
| Mar | 545 | 189 | 79 | 53 | 13.0 | 6.3 |
| Apr | 486 | 201 | 87 | 40 | 9.9 | 4.3 |
| May | 441 | 195 | 84 | 17 | 6.6 | 1.9 |
| Jun | 471 | 225 | 113 | 23 | 10.7 | 1.9 |
| Jul | 524 | 269 | 135 ★ | 29 | 10.9 | 3.0 |
| Aug | 427 | 246 | 115 | 21 | 8.7 | 3.5 |
| Sep | 298 | 183 | 72 | 13 | 5.0 | 1.3 |
| Oct | 362 | 199 | 82 | 20 | 5.3 | 1.3 |
| Nov | 453 | 212 | 85 | 33 | 8.3 | 4.6 |
| Dec | 578 ★ | 284 ★ | 116 | 52 | 12.2 | 8.2 ★ |
| 2025 total | 5,545,293 | 2,597,798 | 1,136,317 | 406,833 | 117,219 | 49,471 |
Month by month: arrivals at each airport in 2025
The table above counts every passenger who arrived by air, in thousands. ★ marks each airport's busiest month.
Source: Banco Central de la República Dominicana, monthly air arrivals by airport, 2025.
Punta Cana (PUJ): March, December and July
Punta Cana is where most visitors land: 5,545,293 arrivals in 2025, more than half the country's total. Its three busiest months in 2025 were December (578,052), March (544,560) and July (524,027). The quietest were September (298,118) and October (362,472). 2026 is running higher: March 2026 brought 621,781 arrivals, the most in any month in the Central Bank's 2024–2026 figures, and January to September is up 8.1% on 2025.
The build-up to high season shows week by week. Punta Cana had 587 arrivals scheduled for 19–25 October 2026, up from 556 the week before (local press, 19 October 2026).
Busy months mean deeper immigration and customs halls, and weekends are worse than weekdays. For what the wait looks like and how to shorten it, read Immigration Lines at Punta Cana Airport (PUJ).
Landing in Punta Cana in a peak month? Punta Cana Airport (PUJ) VIP Fast Track takes you past the immigration and customs lines, with your bags handled. Your driver waits outside: Punta Cana Airport Transfers (PUJ).
Santo Domingo (SDQ): July, August and December
Las Américas follows a different calendar. In 2025 its busiest months were December (283,615), July (269,067) and August (245,943), and its quietest were February (176,132) and September (183,332). About half of the people arriving at Santo Domingo are Dominican nationals, living in the country or abroad (1,290,971 of 2,597,798 in 2025). Their trips home cluster around the summer holidays and Christmas.
That's why a February arrival at Santo Domingo is a quieter experience than a December one, even though February is high season on the beaches. Capacity is still growing: Aerodom, which runs the airport, expects more than 1.5 million seats at Las Américas between late October 2026 and late March 2027, 3.4% more than last winter.
VIP Fast Track at Santo Domingo (SDQ) · Santo Domingo Airport (SDQ) Private Transfers
La Romana (LRM): January to March
La Romana is small (117,219 arrivals in 2025) and its year is short. The busiest months were January (14,181), March (13,042), February (12,456) and December (12,184). By September it drops to under 5,000 a month. Even in peak months the terminal handles a small fraction of Punta Cana's volume, so the lines are short. Fast Track here is about convenience: someone meets you on arrival and handles your bags.
VIP Fast Track at La Romana (LRM) · La Romana Airport (LRM) Private Transfers
Santiago (STI): the diaspora airport
Cibao International in Santiago had 1,136,317 arrivals in 2025, and about 7 in 10 were Dominican nationals. July is its busiest month (134,594), followed by December (115,933) and August (114,639). February and September are the quietest.
VIP Fast Track at Santiago (STI)
Puerto Plata (POP) and Samaná (AZS): winter airports
Puerto Plata is the clearest winter airport in the country. In 2025 its busiest months were January (53,926), March (52,914) and December (52,077). In September it fell to 13,352, a quarter of its January level. More is coming this winter: Aerodom expects 8.8% more seats at Puerto Plata, led by 28% growth from Canada.
Samaná El Catey is the smallest of the six (49,471 arrivals in 2025), with a December peak (8,218). It's also the fastest-growing: January to September 2026 arrivals are 83% above the same months of 2025, and Aerodom expects 29% more seats this winter.
VIP Fast Track at Puerto Plata (POP)
When VIP Fast Track is worth it
- Punta Cana, December to April and July: the months with the most arrivals, especially on Friday to Sunday.
- Santo Domingo and Santiago, July, August and December: when the diaspora flies home and the halls fill with large family groups and extra luggage.
- Any airport, any month: if you're travelling with small children, older relatives or a tight connection to an event.
- Probably not needed: September and October at any airport, and La Romana outside January to March, unless you want the meet-and-greet itself.
VIP Fast Track is sold separately at dominicanairportfasttrack.do for Punta Cana, Santo Domingo, La Romana, Santiago and Puerto Plata. Before you fly, fill in the free Dominican Republic eTicket and QR code; it's required at every airport.
