Dominican carrier Arajet has officially announced its first new route in 2023. Starting September 21, the new Caribbean ultra-low-cost carrier will begin flying between Santo Domingo Las Américas International Airport (SDQ) and São Paulo Guarulhos International Airport (GRU) in Brazil.

A new route for Arajet

After long teasing its arrival to South America’s largest market, Arajet has finally announced when it will begin flying to Brazil. On September 21, the Dominican carrier will begin offering three weekly flights to São Paulo Guarulhos International. Arajet will fly the route on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays, departing from Santo Domingo at 19:20 and arriving at 03:35 local time. The return service will leave at 05:45 the next day, landing in Santo Domingo at 11:50.

According to Arajet, the non-stop flight between both cities will last seven hours and 15 minutes, turning it into one of the longest non-stop services onboard a Boeing 737 MAX. The distance between Santo Domingo and São Paulo is 5,273 kilometers or 3,276 miles. According to data from Cirium, this would make Arajet’s new route to São Paulo the 14th longest by covered distance globally onboard a MAX aircraft. Currently, the longest non-stop MAX flight is operated by Malindo Air between Kuala Lumpur and Melbourne, covering 3,917 miles.

Víctor Pacheco Méndez, Chief Executive Officer and founder of Arajet said that the company’s new route to Brazil represents a milestone for the airline and the Dominican aviation industry. “Santo Domingo and Sao Paulo will be directly connected so that all Dominicans can visit the giant of South America.”

Which other routes could Arajet launch?

Once this new route is launched, Arajet will again offer 18 destinations across the Americas, reaching 12 countries. The destinations offered by Arajet are São Paulo in Brazil; Lima in Peru; Quito and Guayaquil in Ecuador; Bogotá, Medellín, Cali, Barranquilla, and Cartagena in Colombia; San José in Costa Rica; Guatemala City in Guatemala; San Salvador in El Salvador; Mexico City and Cancún in Mexico; and Aruba, Curaçao, St. Maarten and Jamaica in the Caribbean.

People disembarking from an Arajet Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft in Santo Domingo
Photo: Daniel Martínez Garbuno | Simple Flying

The airline serves these destinations with five Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft. Last year, Simple Flying flew onboard Arajet on two routes, Mexico City-Santo Domingo and Santo Domingo-Bogota.

Arajet has hinted at and requested more routes in recent months. Last month, the airline’s CEO said the company would soon open new routes to South America, reaching Brazil, Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, and Uruguay. In Brazil, beyond São Paulo, Arajet had already been linked to Rio de Janeiro Galeão International (GIG) and Manaus International (MAO).

Find the latest South American aviation news here.

Earlier this year, the low-cost airline also requested authorization from the Department of Transportation to launch flights to the United States. Particularly, Arajet chose New York (JFK), Miami (MIA), and San Juan (SJU) as the destinations it would like to serve. Arajet would like to increase the offer of flights between both countries and create a more balanced field. Last year, US carriers operated more than 52,000 passenger flights to the Dominican Republic.

Are you excited to see a new Arajet destination across the Americas? Which other routes should the airline prioritize? Let us know in the comments below.