FL Technics Opens $70M MRO Facility in Punta Cana

FL Technics and Grupo Puntacana have officially commenced operations at a new $70 million heavy MRO facility at Punta Cana International Airport (PUJ), marking the launch with the arrival of the site’s first aircraft, an Airbus A320ceo.

Announced in a press release on August 12, 2026, the 20,000-square-meter hangar represents the first heavy maintenance center of its kind in the Dominican Republic. The facility serves as the inaugural dedicated heavy maintenance site in the Americas for FL Technics, a subsidiary of Avia Solutions Group. The site is designed to provide nearshore MRO capacity for narrow-body operators across North, Central, and South America.

JetBlue anchors initial operations following FAA certification

While the August 12 announcement did not explicitly name the operator of the first A320ceo to enter the hangar, FL Technics previously confirmed JetBlue Airways (B6) as the launch customer for the Punta Cana site. The April 2026 agreement established an early commercial anchor for Airbus A320 family airframe base maintenance.

The facility’s opening follows a rapid series of regulatory approvals. On June 16, 2026, FL Technics received RAD-145 Maintenance Organization certification from the Dominican Civil Aviation Institute (IDAC). One week later, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued the site a Part 145 Repair Station Certificate, clearing the facility to service US-registered aircraft.

Infrastructure expansion and local workforce development

The joint venture with Grupo Puntacana represents a $70 million investment in regional aviation infrastructure. In its initial phase, the facility operates five maintenance bays. FL Technics plans to expand the site to accommodate between 12 and 20 maintenance bays in future development phases.

The MRO center currently employs 300 skilled technical and support staff. At full operational scale, the company projects the workforce will grow to 2,000 employees.

“This first arrival is an important moment for our team and the country. It is evidence that high-level aviation maintenance can be delivered right here in the Dominican Republic,” said Mejico Angeles Lithgow, CEO of FL Technics in the Dominican Republic.

Lithgow noted that future expansion will rely heavily on local talent, with plans to launch a dedicated MRO academy to train technicians within the country.

Juozas Lapeika, Chief Base Maintenance Officer at FL Technics, framed the opening as a foundational move for the region.

“Our long-term mission is to bring safe and efficient aviation MRO services closer to our customers across the Americas while helping strengthen the aviation ecosystem in the regions where we operate,” Lapeika said.

AirPro News analysis

The activation of the Punta Cana facility highlights a broader industry shift toward nearshore maintenance solutions. As North American MRO facilities face persistent capacity constraints and workforce shortages, operators are increasingly looking to the Caribbean and Latin America for heavy maintenance on narrow-body fleets like the Airbus A320 and Boeing 737 families. By securing FAA Part 145 certification ahead of its launch, FL Technics has positioned the Dominican Republic as a viable, geographically convenient alternative to sending aircraft out of the region for routine heavy checks. We expect this facility to attract significant interest from US-based airlines seeking predictable turnaround times for their narrow-body assets.

Sources: FL Technics