Arajet
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Airline |
| Predecessor | Dominican Wings |
| Founded | 2014 |
| Founder | Víctor Miguel Pacheco Méndez |
| Headquarters | Santo Domingo , Dominican Republic |
Area served | North America, Caribbean, Central America, South America |
Key people | Víctor Miguel Pacheco Méndez (Founder and CEO) |
| Products | Budget airline services |
ARAJET, S.A., operating under the brand name Arajet, stands as the national airline and largest carrier of the Dominican Republic, with its headquarters located in Santo Domingo. The airline provides budget-friendly flights throughout North America, the Caribbean, Central America, and South America. Arajet began its commercial service on 15 September 2022, initiating operations with a route to Barranquilla in Colombia.
Arajet's current fleet comprises 11 aircraft, mainly Boeing 737 MAX 8 models, connecting 26 destinations. Its primary hubs are situated at Punta Cana and Santo Domingo. Originally established in 2014 under the name Dominican Wings, the company underwent a rebranding in 2021 to become Arajet. The airline is led by its founder and CEO, Víctor Miguel Pacheco Méndez.
Initial Phase
At the end of 2014, Dominican Wings secured its air operator's certificate from the Dominican Republic’s civil aviation authority, permitting it to conduct charter flights between the Dominican Republic and destinations including Mexico, Trinidad and Tobago, and Argentina. The airline received its first aircraft, an Airbus A320-200, on May 3, 2015.
Transformation
By early 2018, the airline transitioned from solely offering charter services to operating scheduled ultra–low-cost flights, committing $60 million towards this transformation. In September 2021, co-founders Víctor Pacheco Méndez and Mike Powell unveiled the rebranding initiative to Arajet, positioning the carrier as a budget airline serving markets across the Caribbean and the Americas. Subsequently, in November 2021, Arajet obtained approval from the Junta de Aviación Civil to expand its network by adding thirty new international routes.
In December 2021, Arajet collaborated with the Instituto Dominicano de Aviacion Civil to certify two Dominican inspectors at Boeing facilities for oversight of Boeing aircraft operations. The airline's inaugural Boeing 737 MAX 8, named Pico Duarte after the Dominican Republic’s tallest mountain, was completed with its livery in February 2022 and arrived at Las Américas International Airport on March 3, 2022.
Arajet officially commenced operations on March 14, 2022. While primarily supported by Dominican investors, it also benefits from backing by Bain Capital and Griffin Global Asset Management. Boeing confirmed an order for twenty Boeing 737 MAX 200 aircraft with options for an additional fifteen units.
Destinations
As of , Arajet operates flights to the following locations:
| Country / Region | City | Airport | Remarks | References |
|---|
Interline agreements
- Hahn Air
Current fleet
, Arajet's fleet consists exclusively of Boeing 737 MAX aircraft:
| Aircraft type | In service |
Orders | Seating capacity | Remarks | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| F | Y | Total | ||||
| Boeing 737 MAX 8 | 11 | 5 | 8 | 177 | 185 | Additional units scheduled for delivery starting in 2026. |
| Boeing 737 MAX 200 | — | 20 | TBA | Order includes 15 options. | ||
| Total | 11 | 25 | ||||
Former fleet
During its operation as Dominican Wings, the carrier utilized:
| Aircraft model | Quantity | Introduced year | Retired year | Additional details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airbus A320-200 | 1 | 2015 | 2017 | Leased from Avion Express. |