On September 15, 2022, ARAJET began its operations with the visionary idea of being a Referent airline for them Dominicans travel To other destinations of the American continent in a comfortable way and, at the same time, affordable.
Three years later, its executive director (CEO), Víctor Pacheco, says he has achieved it and predicts important Expansion plans with an eye on the future.
The lack of permissions to fly Towards the United States – its first market in the sights – led the company to assume, without initially pretending, “the”risky bet” of settle in South America. And he succeeded: he managed to enter 16 destinations in his first 90 days.
How did he get it? With flights much cheaper than its competitors and constant promotion campaigns to gain the confidence of South American and Dominican tourists residing in countries such as Colombia, BrazilPeru, Chili either Argentina. All of them with a demand for then dissatisfied: the need for Direct air routes.
The result? ARAJET now handle more than 200 combinations of air connections In the Dominican Republic, which has allowed him capitalizee invest 200 million dollars in new airplane floats and training your human talent during these last 36 months.
“We are not only serving the diaspora or to tourism, but we have really become a Air Hub“Pacheco said.
Destinations in South America
Colombia and Argentina They are two of his most prominent destinations. In Colombiathe airline has 18 weekly air frequencies, through which it mobilizes more than 132,000 passengers – with an occupation of seating of 50 % Dominicans and 50 % Colombians.
In Argentinapopularity is such that they will close the year with 20 frequencies per week.
Brazil It already has daily weekly frequencies, while Chili –A promising market, with more than 141,000 passengers that travel to the country – has been one of the most challenges, because 90 % of Chileans still mobilize through other aerial connections.
Support of the diaspora
The approval of the US authorities for the Dominican airline came with the signing of the Open Skies Agreement in December 2024.
The first flight to US territory occurred in April, when they first traveled to Miami, Floridaand in June the flights continued Puerto Rico and New York.
The latter has become “the main destination” of Dominican travelers, surpassing Colombia And Mexico, which continue to be the priorities in Latin America, said the director of Communications and External Affairs of ARAJET (CCO, acronym in English), Manuel Luna, who also participated in the Free dialogue.
In two months of operations, the Dominican airline has registered a 90 % occupation on the route that connects to the Dominican Republic with the airport of Newark, New Jersey.
Pacheco attributes the success of the routes of ARAJET To Newark – who, together with JFK and Laguardia, serves one of the world’s largest air markets – User experience– for an audience suffering from the bad treatment received by other low -cost airlines -, as well as to the departure of their flights.
“What we have done is to go to the United States, to support ourselves in the Dominican diasporato help us with the fight, to give us more opportunities to have more flights to the city of New York“said Pacheco, who pointed out that the Flight increase It is decisive to lower prices to Dominicans who reside there.
At the moment, ARAJET covers New York With two frequencies, which seeks to raise nine daily flights. But for this, they require two things: that permits are granted – what is stopped by the American bureaucracy, according to Luna – and that the demand increases.
As for the Miami market, Luna describes it as “very positive”, although surpassed by New York. The same goes for Puerto Rico, which saw the transfer of hundreds of passengers during the concerts of the Bad Bunny residence. A aspect that stand out from the Puerto Rico market, and other destinations with high prices, is that after their entry the cost of air tickets begins to desce And Earthly was selling it in 185, 189 (dollars), “Pacheco said.
The first Christmas of ARAJET
This December will be the first in which ARAJET Mobilize the Dominicans who will travel to the country to celebrate the Christmas With their relatives, and vice versa, a challenging time for which they prepare in “minimize“The incidents that occur during that high season and guarantee a User experience positive.
“It is a time that, For high demand, it is full of challenges. And the operational team is focusing is above all in being able to guarantee a great experience to the user. Because it is normal that at that time there are more problems with schedules, that there are cancellations for snowfall, that there are issues with suitcases, “he explained.
In addition, the airline is prepared to Welcome to your passenger number 3 millionwhich will arrive at the end of November or early December, according to their estimates.
For the next five years, the airline hopes to expand its capacity in up to 40 aircraft to be able to meet the demand at the same rate as its expansion, a goal to which it seems to approach: in December it will acquire its number 13 aircraft, and hopes to fire the 2026 with 19 aircraft.
The vision for 2030, projects Pacheco, is that this expansion of the logistics capacity of areaT will allow you to create more than 7,000 direct jobs – ten times the little more than 700 workers they have today – and operate in up to 62 destinations by then. “We are to grow and strengthen Hub (aerial) in America,” said Pacheco.
