The Dominican ultra-low-cost carrier Arajet is moving to the next phase of its growth plan, employing Santo Domingo’s Las Américas International Airport (SDQ) as a regional hub offering connections for travelers. This week, the airline announced that people traveling from Mexico City’s Felipe Ángeles International Airport (NLU) can connect to Medellín International Airport (MDE) via Santo Domingo.

A regional low-fare hub

Arajet has been flying for over half a year, connecting Santo Domingo with 17 destinations across the Americas. The airline has also announced plenty of more destinations to be launched this year, including three in the United States and three in Brazil.

Nonetheless, one of the goals of the new carrier was to employ Santo Domingo as a regional hub, similar to what Viva Air did with Medellín and Copa Airlines at Tocumen International Airport in Panama City. This plan has been set in motion now.

Arajet's management celebrating the addition of a fifth weekly flight between Santo Domingo and Mexico City
Photo: Arajet.

On Monday, Arajet launched its first connection between Mexico City and Medellín with a stopover in Santo Domingo. The airline announced this within the framework of the Tianguis Turístico 2023, a fair that took place in Mexico City this week. Víctor Pacheco, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and founder of Arajet said during a press conference,

“The context of Tianguis Turístico is the ideal scenario to launch Connections, Arajet's first major evolution as an airline. Since last Friday, March 24, our passengers can fly from Mexico City to Medellin, using Las Americas International Airport in Santo Domingo as a connection point, without going through immigration or baggage claim. With this connection, we begin a new era in our low-fare hub in the Dominican Republic.”

In a second phase of connections, passengers from Mexico City and Cancun will be able to connect easily and smoothly to St. Maarten, Aruba, Curaçao, and Jamaica in the Caribbean, the airline said.

Increasing capacity in Mexico City

Arajet has become the largest foreign operator at the Felipe Ángeles International. The airline announced a fifth frequency to Mexico City from Santo Domingo, available from May 6. Now it will fly on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. Last year, Simple Flying published two trip reports about flying with Arajet. We were onboard the airline’s service from Mexico City to Santo Domingo and from Santo Domingo to Bogota.

Victor Pacheco at Mexico City's Tianguis Turístico
Photo: Arajet.

Since launching its flights to Mexico City, Arajet has carried 30,000 people between the two capital cities, said Víctor Pacheco. Mexico is the second-largest trading partner for the Dominican Republic, and “Arajet has managed to crystallize through our routes from Santo Domingo and, with connections, a common interest in strengthening economic, tourism, and commercial exchange,” he said.

Arajet’s fleet

The Dominican carrier currently has a fleet of five Boeing 737 MAX 8s. According to data from ch-aviation, the airline still has to receive 20 additional planes including six 737 MAX 8 and 14 737-8-200s, the Ryanair version with more seats, and an extra emergency door.

Arajet currently serves 17 destinations in 11 countries, operating 94 weekly flights approximately. Its largest destinations are Guatemala, San Salvador, and Mexico City, with five, five, and four (soon to be five) weekly flights.

Have you flown with Arajet? How did you find the experience? Let us know in the comments below.