Arajet, a young startup low-cost airline, will make its first flight to Costa Rica on Monday, October 10th. The Dominican carrier will fly a route between the two countries connecting Santo Domingo's Las Américas International Airport (SDQ) and San Jose's Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO). The new route is one of many the airline is planning to open this month. The company is undergoing rapid expansion as it races to secure a foothold in the Latin American aviation market.

New route

The new route will be flown five times per week, with one flight from The Dominican Republic flying to Costa Rica on these days and then flying back a couple of hours later. It will operate on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. Tickets for this route and many other routes previously announced by the airline went on sale in mid-August. As a low-cost carrier, Arajet is looking to offer reduced fares to its customers for a flat price to boost ticket sales. Tickets for the route in question are being offered at $149 per round-trip ticket.

An Arajet Boeing 737 MAX aircraft
Arajet is offering an ultra-low fare for this route to attract customers. Photo: Arajet

The airline expects regular traffic between the two destinations from business and leisure travelers. The route is commonly flown by other airlines in the region. Arajet believes its lower fare will attract customers allowing it to carve out a small slice of the market. Competition in the Latin American air transit industry is growing fierce as airlines look to expand following the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Planned growth

Arajet launched its inaugural flight on September 15th, when it began service from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, to Barranquilla, Colombia. Since then, the airline has launched 11 additional routes. This new route will be its twelfth. The airline is looking to capitalize on the high demand for air travel following the pandemic. With sufficient demand to fuel rapid expansion, the airline is looking to operate 22 routes connecting 12 countries across the Americas. These are only short-term goals for the airline. In time, it plans to build a vast network connecting points across the American continents. This includes plans to later expand into the US market.

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 airline has chosen to use the Boeing 737 MAX 8 as its operation's backbone. It currently operates a fleet of five MAXs, all of which are currently on lease. It is looking to lease another 15 MAXs in the coming months. The additional aircraft will be required to provide the airline with sufficient capacity to execute its expansion plans. Earlier this year, Arajet signed an order with Boeing for 20 MAX 8 aircraft. The first deliveries of these aircraft are expected in 2024. Until the airline can secure these aircraft, it will be stuck leasing to keep its operations running.

The company chose to use the MAX airplane because of its low operating costs. Many low-cost carriers, especially startups, commence operations with older used aircraft because of a cheaper upfront cost. However, in recent years several startup low-cost carriers such as Akasa Air have begun purchasing brand-new aircraft because of the latest technological advancements that help reduce fuel burn, significantly reducing operating costs. While brand-new aircraft come with a higher listed price, they will save the carriers millions in operating expenses in the long run.

What do you think of this new route? Let us know in the comments below.

Source: QCOSTARICA