Without competitive routes and fares, the Dominican Republic cannot compete or meet the expectations of the new tourist, said President Luis Abinader, who affirmed that having a low-cost airline with a national flag is to make the Dominican destination more attractive.
In this sense, Abinader celebrated the launching of the new Dominican airline ARAJET in a ceremony at the Las Americas International Airport.
ARAJET is a new ultra low cost commercial airline of Dominican origin, with mixed Dominican and foreign investment. This project seeks to increase direct traffic between the Dominican Republic and the rest of the Americas.
Abinader said that with ARAJET, the beginning of the end of high air fares begins.
“ARAJET will help us to be able to serve markets that, due to price and availability of direct routes, still have SERVICE gaps,” he said.
The president waved the Dominican flag from the plane and symbolically received the first air ticket of the airline, which will begin flying next May.
ARAJET and Boeing Company announced that the new airline 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 that, along with existing lease agreements, could bring the airline’s new fuel-efficient fleet to 40 aircraft.
ARAJET will begin operations in May from Las Americas International Airport with flights to Costa Rica, Colombia, Jamaica and other Caribbean islands with the Pico Duarte aircraft. Starting in June, more aircraft will be incorporated and new destinations in the continent will be opened, 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 thousand direct jobs and 40 thousand indirect jobs in the next 5 years and expects to transport some 7 million passengers per year, with a total of 43 air routes, of which 24 new routes are planned that are not currently served in the market.
