President Luis Abinader boarded the “Pico Duarte,” the first Boeing jet of the mixed Dominican and foreign low-cost airline Arajet for the official launching on Monday, 14 March 2022. The aircraft was named for the highest peak in the Caribbean.
Speaking at the official launching at Las Americas International Airport, President Luis Abinader forecast the beginning of the end of high airfares to the Dominican Republic. He is optimistic the new ultra-low cost commercial airline will reduce the cost of fares by 30 to 60%.
“Arajet will have the full support of the Dominican government, as they seek to grow tourism into the country and enable Dominicans living abroad to visit their home with low-priced air fares,” said President Abinader.
Arajet is scheduled to begin regular flights in May, marketing to the Dominican diaspora. President Abinader waved the Dominican flag from the cockpit. He was symbolically issued the first passenger ticket.
The president of the board of directors of Arajet, Víctor Pacheco Mendez thanked the President of the Republic, and the president of the Civil Aviation Board, José Ernesto Marte Piantini, for their support.
Pacheco Mendez says the airline has ordered twenty 737 Max aircraft, specifically the high-capacity 737-8-200 model to expand affordable travel in the Americas. He said the airline also has options to purchase an additional 15 737 Max jets that, along with existing lease agreements, could bring the airline’s new fuel-efficient fleet to 40 aircraft.
Pacheco Mendez said the company has been working for five years on the airline project, inspired by the entrepreneurial spirit of his grandfather, Víctor Méndez Capellán, who was a pioneer in connecting the Dominican diaspora to the country through the Vimenca Group services.
The airline was named initially Dominican Wings in 2014 and operated several charer flights with wet-leased Airbus. In 2018, it changed the name to Flycana. During 2020 a new low-cost airline emerged called SkyCana. To not cause confusion in the market, the airline was rebranded as Arajet.
“Being allied with Boeing and hand in hand with investors such as Griffin and Bain Capital, gives us the guarantee of operational success that we need to be able to provide Dominicans with affordable flights connecting the country with the main destinations in the Americas,” said Pacheco Méndez.
Arajet will start operations in May from the base of Las Americas International Airport (SDQ), with flights to Costa Rica, Colombia, Jamaica and other Caribbean islands using its first Boeing jet.
Starting in June, more aircraft will be incorporated and new destinations will be opened in the continent, and flights to the United States are expected to begin in the second half of the year.
“The 737 Max is a perfect fit for Arajet and it is an honor to welcome this exciting new operator to the Boeing family,” said Landon Loomis, vice president, Latin America and Caribbean, The Boeing Company. “Flying a dedicated fleet of 737 Maxs will allow Arajet to save on fuel, maintenance and operations costs, and pass those savings on to its customers.”
Over the next five years, the company plans are for the airline to generate more than 4,000 jobs directly and some 40,000 indirectly and expects to transport some seven million passengers per year, with a total of 43 air routes of which 24 new routes are projected that are not currently served in the market.
On 3 March, the first Boeing 737-8 for Arajet arrived to Las Americas International Airport in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. The airline now is doing the regulatory 50 hours of pre-passenger flight time.
This is the first Max registered in the country. The aircraft, with registration HI 1026 (msn/ln 60195/8035), has a capacity for 189 passengers.
Mike Powell is the co-founder and CEO of Arajet. He previously worked in the early days of Flybondi and Wizz Air.
The Dominican Republic’s Civil Aviation Board (JAC) granted the airline in November 2021 the authorization to operate scheduled and non-scheduled passenger and cargo air services in international operations from the Dominican Republic to the United States, Cuba, Colombia, Costa Rica, Mexico, Panama, Peru, Haiti, Trinidad and Tobago, the Netherlands (Netherlands Antilles) and France (French Caribbean Antilles).
A company press release explains that Arajet is expected to commence operations from Las Americas International Airport of Santo Domingo with flights to the Caribbean islands and Central America starting this spring. Arajet expects to add flights later this year to key North American markets with populations having significant familial ties to the Dominican Republic, including New York, Boston, Miami, and Chicago. An estimated 2.2 million people of Dominican descent live in the United States.
“The Dominican Republican and the wider Caribbean region is underserved by low-cost airlines and passengers deserve a more affordable way to travel in our market. We believe Arajet is well-positioned to transform the Santo Domingo Airport into a modern, new hub for destination and connecting traffic,” said founder and executive officer Victor Pacheco Mendez. “We are excited that our passengers will be the winners by paying the lowest fares while flying on brand new airplanes. Arajet is also proud to play a significant role in job creation and GDP growth in the Dominican Republic, and we look forward to working closely with President Abinader and his administration to advance his pro-growth agenda.”
Read more in Spanish:
Arajet press release
Civil Aviation Board
Twitter
Noticias SIN
Listin Diario
15 March 2022