Punta Cana International Airport: The simplest yet exceptionally busy international airport in the world
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(This is the 1706th travel photography post published in 56 countries/regions and 1005 cities across 5 continents)
Flying from Toronto, I arrived at the Punta Cana International Airport (Punta Cana International Airport, IATA code PUJ) in the eastern part of the Dominican Republic. It is said to be the busiest airport in the Dominican Republic and even in the Caribbean.
Due to the tropical savanna climate in the Punta Cana area, which is a tourist destination in the Dominican Republic, there are more than 150 flights in and out of the port daily. The shuttle rate of flights ranks first in the Caribbean region, far exceeding that of the capital Santo Domingo Airport, as well as the flight volume of famous domestic tourist resort cities like Lijiang, Guilin, and Xishuangbanna.
There are very few airport jet bridges, and most flights require ferrying from remote stands. The terminal is almost open-air, with the whole structure built of logs, stone walls less than one meter high, and roofs covered with palm branches and leaves. There is no air conditioning in the hot weather. This primitive and simple feeling left a deep impression on me, who is used to the modern airport waiting buildings in China.
Punta Cana Airport's facilities may be simple, but the efficiency is surprisingly high. Since I filled out the electronic entry card by scanning the QR code when departing from Toronto, when exiting customs at Punta Cana Airport, I just handed over my passport, the officer glanced at the computer screen, stamped it, and in less than 10 seconds I was through. Despite the numerous flights, there's almost no need to queue, and the order is well-organized, which really amazed me!