Arajet's Rapid US Expansion: Serving 6 Cities and Counting

Arajet is the flag carrier and the largest airline of the Dominican Republic, based in Santo Domingo. The low-cost carrier began operations in 2022 and has been expanding steadily across North America, the Caribbean, Central America, and South America. After the Dominican Republic and the United States finalized an open-skies agreement in December 2024, the airline gained approval to enter the US market.

Earlier this year, in April, it launched its first US flights, and it now serves six American cities from its hubs in Santo Domingo and Punta Cana. The airline is also looking to expand its presence across the United States. According to ch-aviation, the airline currently operates a fleet of 12 Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft and is awaiting deliveries for 15 additional aircraft.

Arajet launched its first US route on April 11 with service from Santo Domingo’s Las Américas International Airport (SDQ) to Miami. The airline started with four weekly flights but increased frequency to daily for the northern summer. It also added Miami–Punta Cana flights in June as demand on the route grew. Furthermore, after entering Miami, the airline expanded quickly.

It introduced service to Newark Liberty International Airport and launched flights to San Juan, which is the capital of the US territory of Puerto Rico. Most recently, on November 15, Arajet inaugurated service at Chicago O'Hare International Airport, its fourth US mainland airport. The airline has also added Boston to its network, offering four weekly flights from Santo Domingo. According to Cirium, an aviation analytics company, it is also starting flights between Punta Cana and Newark early next year.

Arajet initially started as Dominican Wings, a charter operator that was rebranded and relaunched as an ultra-low-cost carrier in 2022. Since then, it has expanded quickly, supported by investment from Bain Capital and Griffin Global Asset Management. Indeed, the Dominican Republic remains the Caribbean’s most visited destination, which surpassed 10 million arrivals last year, and Arajet has used this demand to build a broad network across the region.