Dominican carrier Arajet launched operations last week and is already eyeing more routes and destinations. Arajet, employing a fleet of five Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft, currently flies to 12 destinations across Latin America and expects to open seven new routes in October.

Full force

Arajet began flying on September 15, when it first landed in Barranquilla, Colombia, flying from Santo Domingo Las Américas International Airport (SDQ). In the last week, the Dominican startup has opened up new services all across the region.

The destinations it flies to in September are Mexico City (NLU), Monterrey (MTY), and Cancún (CUN) in North America, San Salvador (SAL), and Guatemala City (GUA) in Central America, Oranjestad (AUA), Santo Domingo (SDQ), and St. Maarten (SXM) in the Caribbean and Cali (CLO), Cartagena (CTG), Barranquilla (BAQ), and Lima (LIM) in South America.

Arajet is currently operating around 50 weekly flights employing Santo Domingo’s airport as its hub to offer ultra-low-cost carriers throughout the Americas. The airline launched operations with an initial fleet of five new Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft, which “provide a comfortable and safe flight experience in a cabin with 185 reclining seats for maximum comfort and sufficient personal space. The aircraft is the quietest in the regional market with 40% less noise pollution per leg, and their CFM LEAP-1B engines save up to 14% more fuel compared to single-aisle aircraft on the market.”

Arajet-3-2
Arajet began flying on September 15, 2022. Photo: Arajet.

What about next month?

The Dominican carrier is already looking to increase its network. The short-term goal is to offer 22 destinations in 12 countries across the Americas. Arajet expects to open seven new destinations in October to achieve this goal.

According to a fact sheet provided by the airline this week, Arajet is looking to open flights to San José (SJO) in Central America, Curaçao (CUR), and Kingston (KIN) in the Caribbean, and Bogota (BOG), Medellín (MDE), Guayaquil (GYE), and Quito (UIO) in South America.

Moreover, after November, the airline expects to open two new routes connecting Santo Domingo with Toronto (YYZ) and Montreal (YUL) in Canada. Nonetheless, these routes are still pending government approval. Arajet also expects to fly to the United States in the near future. However, there has been no formal announcement of possible destinations yet.

In the next five years, Arajet expects to attract the leisure traveler, increase connectivity in the region, and carry more than seven million passengers, creating over 4,000 direct jobs and 40,000 indirect jobs, the airline said.

Arajet Boeing 737 MAX 8s on ramp
Arajet is looking to expand its fleet of 737s. It plans to lease more aircraft as needed until its ordered 737s arrive. Photo: Arajet

The fleet

This year, Arajet became Boeing’s newest client in the Latin American region. The airline operates a fleet of five aircraft –leased to Griffin Global Asset Management. It is one of the six MAX-operating airlines in the Americas and the Caribbean, joining the likes of GOL (Brazil), Aeromexico (Mexico), Copa Airlines (Panama), Aerolíneas Argentinas (Argentina), and Caribbean Airlines (Trinidad & Tobago).

Arajet signed a deal with Boeing earlier this year to acquire 20 737 MAX 8-200 aircraft, with the option to add 15 additional units, bringing the fleet to over 40 planes. These jets will be delivered starting in 2024. In the meantime, Arajet expects to keep adding leased units.

What do you think about Arajet’s plans across the region? Let us know in the comments below.