SANTO DOMINGO- With fares ranging from 30% to 60% less than the usual cost of an airline ticket, ARAJET is the new airline with purely Dominican registration that was announced yesterday by President Luis Abinader, at an event held at the Las Américas International Airport Dr. José Francisco Peña Gómez.
The president praised the Dominican Republic for having a low-cost airline, saying it makes the country a more attractive destination. "Without competitive routes and fares, the Dominican Republic cannot compete or meet the expectations of the modern tourist," he stated.
ARAJET is being marketed as a new ultra-low-cost commercial airline. It is a joint venture between Dominican and foreign investors, and its promoters state that the project aims to increase direct traffic between the Dominican Republic and the rest of the Americas.
Abinader said that ARAJET marks the beginning of the end for high airfares. "ARAJET will help us serve markets that, due to price and availability of direct routes, still experience service gaps," the president said.
The president waved the Dominican flag from the plane and symbolically received the first airline ticket from the airline that will begin flying next May.
ARAJET and Boeing Company announced that the new airline has ordered 20 737 MAX aircraft, specifically the high-capacity 737-8-200 model, to expand affordable travel options in the Americas. The airline also has options to purchase an additional 15 737 MAX jets, which, along with existing lease agreements, could bring the airline's new fuel-efficient fleet to 40 aircraft.
It takes off in May
ARAJET will begin operations in May from Las Américas International Airport Dr. José Francisco Peña Gómez, with flights to Costa Rica, Colombia, Jamaica, and other Caribbean islands, using an aircraft named Pico Duarte. Starting in June, more aircraft will be added and new destinations will be opened in the Americas, and flights to the United States are expected to begin in the second half of the year.
Executives estimate that the airline will generate more than 4,000 direct jobs and 40,000 indirect jobs over the next 5 years and expects to transport about 7 million passengers a year, with a total of 43 air routes, of which 24 new routes are projected that are not currently included in the market.
