Punta Cana.– Punta Cana International Airport, a major tourism gateway on the east coast of the Dominican Republic, will be getting a new, 40-station check-in terminal and baggage system this month as part of a multi-million-dollar improvement program that will continue through 2010.

Travelers also will benefit from new e-ticketing kiosks and baggage drops. Future plans call for a new weather radar system, runway and taxiway expansions, and a new control tower.

Punta Cana International Airport is the busiest airport in the Dominican Republic and the third-busiest in the Caribbean, handling about 2 million passengers annually.