Aerolíneas Dominicanas del Oriente | 1990 | McDonnell Douglas DC-9-30

Aerolíneas Dominicanas del Oriente

AIRFRAME - McDonnell Douglas DC-9-30

REGISTRATION - HI-372DO

BASE - Punta Cana International Airport [PUJ]

While the Boeing 707-320B may have been the launch aircraft for ADO. the DC-9-30 stood the flagship. The type flew across the Caribbean, boosting a peak of nine DC-9-30s, with an accompanied six DC-9-40s. While the type was aging, the aircraft worked perfectly for the company. With the type being retired in favor for the new MD-80 series, ADO could acquire the type at low prices and at ease. The brand relied on the second hand market until 1996, with an order of the Airbus A320-200 to replace the full DC-9 fleet.

The early 1990s saw a boom for the airline. The Boeing 707-320Bs flew constantly to Miami and New York. The DC-9 type picked up the US routes that the 707-320B was too big for, along with flying to a variety of Caribbean and Mexican destinations. The airline offered daily services to over twenty destinations by 1990, selling out each flight within days of publishing tickets to its affiliated travel agencies. ADO's safety records were sketchy, but the travel numbers were plentiful. The Dominican Republic's economy grew largely as the plane loads of tourists flocked to Punta Cana and traveled to nearby cities.

In 1991, the Domincan Republic's government purchased a 15% share of the brand. They would later increase their share to 33% in 1996. The government fully backed out of the airline in 2001 following sharp losses.

Personal Notes:

Both Halifax & ADO will be back on the gallery in early August, taking a final vacation of the summer.