The Dominica Air and Sea Ports Authority was established by Act No.8 of 2006 made effective in January 2007. It is a merger of the air and sea ports services to provide for coordinated and integrated systems of airports, seaports and port services, to transfer to vest in the Authority the assets, liabilities and functions of the Dominica Port Authority established under Port Authority Act Chapter 50:01 and the assets, liabilities and functions of the Melville Hall Airport (now the Douglas-Charles Airport) provided for under Melville Hall Airport Act Chapter 47:01 and the Canefield Airport provided for under the Canefield Airport Act Chapter 47:02. The Dominica Air and Sea Ports Authority operates with the following functions:

To operate the ports to appear at its best calculated to serve the public interest;

To regulate and control navigation within the limits of such ports and their approaches;

To maintain, improve and regulate the use of such ports and the services and facilities therein as it considers necessary or desirable;

To provide for such ports and approached thereto such pilotage services, beacons, buoys and other navigational services, aviation services and aids as it considers necessary and desirable;

To exercise the duties and function in any enactment relating to shipping and navigation and aviation formerly exercisable by the government department.

In executing these functions, the Authority is administered by a Board consisting of a Chairman and eight members appointed by the Minister, with a General Manager as Chief Executive Officer.