The low-cost Dominican-based airline Arajet officially began its operations from Punta Cana International Airport on Monday, 25 November 2024. The inaugural flight, a Boeing 737 Max 8 carrying 150 passengers from Sao Paulo, Brazil, marked a significant milestone for the airline, Diario Libre reported.
Arajet CEO Víctor Pacheco expressed his enthusiasm for the expansion, stating: “This is a major achievement for us. Punta Cana is the most important airport in the region, and we are thrilled to be part of its success.”
Arajet had begun using Santo Domingo’s Las Americas International Airport as its base. Yet, flying in and out of Punta Cana International Airport enables the airline to feed from around 375 airlines that fly into that airport, connecting to 150 destinations around the world.
With over a million passengers already flown this year, Arajet is poised for further growth. The airline is actively pursuing interline agreements with European carriers serving Punta Cana, aiming to enhance connectivity and attract more international travelers. And the US and Dominican governments have approved a new open skies agreement, with flights to the US expected to commence this winter season.
As part of its expansion plans, Arajet intends to increase its fleet from 10 to 15 aircraft by 2025, with a long-term goal of reaching 40 aircraft by 2027. These additional aircraft will support both existing and new routes.
Once the pending open-skies agreement between the United States and the Dominican Republic is finalized, Arajet plans to launch new routes to New York, Miami, and Puerto Rico. “This will enable us to connect North and South America and access the North American market, which is the most important for our country,” Pacheco said.
The ribbon-cutting ceremony was attended by several dignitaries, including Frank Elías Rainieri, CEO of Grupo Puntacana, Víctor Pichardo, director of the Dominican Airport Department, and Igor Rodríguez, director-general of the Civil Aviation Institute.
Arajet now offers direct flights from Punta Cana International (PUJ) to:
Mexico City and Cancún, Mexico; Toronto and Montreal, Canada; Kingston, Jamaica; Quito and Guayaquil, Ecuador; Lima, Peru; Sao Paulo, Brazil; Santiago de Chile, Chile; Buenos Aires, Argentina; Cartagena, Bogotá and Medellín, Colombia.
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Diario Libre
26 November 2024