Victor Pacheco Mendez, CEO of Arajet, highlighted that the low-cost business model and the status of national airline will attract more tourists, increase connectivity, and offer Dominicans the opportunity to travel at lower fares, aboard new aircraft with the highest safety standards, and with their distinctive and warm service to the Dominican customer.
SANTO DOMINGO – Taking flight with a distinctly Dominican flair, the newly created airline Arajet , with its low-cost mission, officially launched yesterday with a hub in Santo Domingo. It projects transporting more than 7 million passengers in its first five years, generating over 4,000 direct jobs and nearly 40,000 indirect jobs in the region.
With the presence of the President of the Republic, Luis Abinader took his first flight to San Salvador in El Salvador, also having as a guest Morena Valdez, Secretary of Tourism of the Central American country.
Previously, the airline registered operations with inaugural flights to Barranquilla and Cali in Colombia, and Aruba.
“Today we congratulate Arajet on this launch, which will benefit all Dominicans. It is a source of pride to have a new Dominican flag carrier, and the government will provide all the necessary support to ensure our aviation industry is as competitive as possible. We aim to create an air hub that boosts tourism, trade, and cultural exchange, and gives Dominicans the opportunity to visit their country at low prices,” Abinader stated.
The new airline promises to build a strong route network with 22 destinations in 12 countries in the coming months, carrying the Dominican flag and providing customer-oriented service throughout the continent.
Victor Pacheco Mendez, CEO of Arajet, highlighted that the low-cost business model and the status of national airline will attract more tourists, increase connectivity, and offer Dominicans the opportunity to travel at lower fares, aboard new aircraft with the highest safety standards, and with their distinctive and warm service to the Dominican customer.
“Our mission is to advance Dominican aviation by providing low fares, superior service, and connecting Santo Domingo with major cities in the Americas with a fleet of state-of-the-art aircraft,” Pacheco Méndez noted.
Morena Valdez, Minister of Tourism of El Salvador, stated that "Under President Nayib Bukele's administration, air connectivity is key to boosting tourism, making it easier for travelers to move between countries and discover the wide range of tourist attractions offered by Surf City El Salvador, from the consistently good waves for surfing, to its imposing volcanoes, towns and cities with great historical value.".
Seats for tourists
To develop the tourism sector, it is necessary to add, in addition to hotels and airports, a sufficient number of seats so that tourists can come from their different destinations.
That is why President Luis Abinader will bring a bill to the National Congress in the coming days to eliminate the tax barriers that prevent the development of new local airlines.
The president stated that tax obstacles do not encourage competition and that his government seeks to eliminate such measures that do not make sense in favor of those that do.
“Tax incentives that the State will not actually stop receiving because there are no local airlines, since it doesn't stop receiving anything, what is being stopped is the incentive for competition and that is the logic of this government, to eliminate many measures that did not make any sense, in favor of those that do make sense in order to bring competition,” the president highlighted in a press release from the Presidency of the Republic.
Abinader supports competitively priced airline tickets and believes the Dominican government's goal is to promote local airlines to create businesses and boost employment.
The announcement was made during the official start of operations of the airline Arajet with its first flight to San Salvador, in El Salvador.
