Arajet is seeking to add almost 20 international routes from Punta Cana International Airport (PUJ) as the Dominican Republic-based ULCC prepares to further expand its network.
The airline, which operates a hub in Santo Domingo, intends to open a base at PUJ in November after establishing an alliance with airport operator Grupo PuntaCana. PUJ will become the carrier’s third domestic destination.
Ahead of the planned launch, Arajet has applied to Junta de Aviación Civil, the Dominican Republic’s civil aviation authority, for the rights to serve 19 international routes, including offering flights to points in Argentina, Canada, Colombia and Peru.
The move will see PUJ become Arajet’s second base alongside its primary Santo Domingo Las Americas International Airport hub, which serves the Dominican Republic’s capital city. The airline also operates some services from Santiago de los Caballeros’ Ciabo International Airport in the northern part of the country.
The application covers the following destinations: Aruba, Bogota, Buenos Aries, Cancun, Cartagena, Curacao, El Salvador, Guatemala, Guayaquil, Kingston, Lima, Mexico City, Montreal, Quito, San Jose, Saint Martin, Santiago, Sao Paulo and Toronto. Arajet's request will be considered at a meeting on July 17.
If Arajet is successful in securing the rights for all 19 destinations and launches the routes, it will face competition on 12 of them on a city-pair basis. According to OAG Schedules Analyser data, the seven destinations without nonstop service from PUJ at present are Cancun, Cartagena, El Salvador, Guatemala, Kingston, Mexico City and San Jose.
Alongside the planned expansion from Punta Cana, Arajet also hopes to launch its first routes to the U.S. later this year. The carrier applied to the U.S. Transportation Department for permission to commence flights to the country in March 2023, outlining plans to begin serving New York, Miami and San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Its ambitions were recently boosted when the Dominican Republic and the U.S. concluded negotiations for an open skies agreement, marking an end to 25 years of talks to enhance the existing bilateral air transport agreement. The respective governments will now work to bring the proposed agreement into force.
Arajet operates a fleet of 10 Boeing 737-8 aircraft, with a further 19 on order.
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