The Dominican Republic’s civil aviation regulator has released full-year 2025 data on transatlantic air travel, showing slow but consistent expansion in passenger volumes between the Caribbean nation and European markets. Total European-origin and -bound air passengers reached 2,172,458 last year, marking a 2% uptick from the 2024 total of 2,126,954, representing an increase of 45,504 passengers year-over-year. The Civil Aviation Board (JAC) characterized the overall trajectory as “slow but sustained growth”, a trend that aligns with broader post-pandemic recovery patterns in Caribbean tourism. Spain retained its position as the Dominican Republic’s largest European air travel market, closing 2025 with 912,177 total passengers, a solid 7% increase compared to 2024 figures. This leading market position is backed by strong airline connectivity: four of the 10 carriers with the most frequent service between the two countries are Spanish-based, including major players Air Europa, Iberia, Iberojet, and leisure-focused World2Fly. The United Kingdom claimed the second spot in the European market rankings, recording 354,892 total passengers in 2025, a 4% annual increase. JAC analysts highlighted this uptick as evidence of stable, consistent travel demand between the Dominican Republic and the UK, with air connectivity holding steady throughout the year. Germany remained the third-largest market for the Dominican Republic’s European air routes, even as the country recorded a 9% year-over-year drop in passenger volumes, falling from 302,186 in 2024 to 276,208 in 2025. France also faced a mild decline, with passenger numbers falling 6% from 153,414 in 2024 to 144,043 last year. Rounding out the top five European markets was Portugal, which posted a 7% year-over-year growth in passenger volumes, climbing from 80,274 travelers in 2024 to 86,038 in 2025 to secure the fifth position. While a handful of key markets saw minor contractions, the overall 2% growth across all European routes confirms the Dominican Republic’s gradual, steady recovery of its transatlantic travel sector.
The top 5 European tourist origins to the Dominican Republic: Spain continues to lead
