Low-cost carrier Arajet has announced its intentions to operate flights between Santo Domingo/Las Américas, Dominican Republic, and Buenos Aires, Argentina, according to a tweet published by ANAC, the Argentine aviation authority.
During a meeting held by ANAC President Paola Tamburelli, it was confirmed that Buenos Aires will be another destination served by the low-cost carrier. Since its first flight on September 15, Arajet has expanded its network and currently operates in 17 destinations in South America, Central America, the Caribbean, and Mexico from its hub in Santo Domingo/Las Américas.
In recent months, the company has been in negotiations with various aviation authorities to be authorized for new destinations in the Americas, such as the United States (New York, Miami, Puerto Rico); Canada (Montreal and Toronto); Brazil (Manaus, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, and Salvador); Honduras (San Pedro Sula); Guyana; Belize; Barbados, and Trinidad and Tobago.
Challenging Aerolíneas Argentinas on a singular route
Now, Buenos Aires has been added to the list, which is a surprising move as it’s the first time the low-cost carrier has expressed interest in operating in Argentina. Currently, Aerolíneas Argentinas is the only operator between both countries, connecting Buenos Aires (Ezeiza) with Punta Cana (PUJ) in Boeing 737-8 aircraft, with between five and seven weekly flights. In 2022, the state-owned company carried 78,922 passengers, according to ANAC Argentina.
Born as DW Dominican Wings in 2014, the company operated several charter flights with Airbus A320 aircraft. In 2018, it changed its name to Flycana, maintaining its air operator certificate, to become an ultra-low-cost carrier. However, when a new airline called SkyCana emerged in 2020 to avoid confusion in the market, Flycana had to change its name.
In March 2022, Arajet surprised everyone by announcing an order for up to 35 Boeing 737-8200. This high-density version of the MAX 8 has a capacity of 210 passengers. Arajet was the first American airline to order the variant.
Is Arajet filling Viva Air Colombia’s void?
The company’s intention is to establish a continental hub in Santo Domingo that serves as a counterweight to Copa Airlines’ hub in Panama. With a fleet of five Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft with a capacity of 185 passengers, it currently flies to the following destinations:
Aruba (AUA): 2 weekly flights;
Barranquilla (BAQ), Colombia: 2 weekly flights;
Bogotá (BOG), Colombia: 2 weekly flights;
Cali (CLO), Colombia: 2 weekly flights;
Cancún (CUN), Mexico: 3 weekly flights;
Cartagena (CTG), Colombia: 3 weekly flights;
Ciudad de Guatemala (GUA): 5 weekly flights;
Ciudad de México (NLU/AIFA): 4 weekly flights;
Curaçao (CUR): 2 weekly flights;
Guayaquil (GYE), Ecuador: 2 weekly flights;
Kingston (KIN), Jamaica: 2 weekly flights;
Quito (UIO), Ecuador: 2 weekly flights;
Lima (LIM), Peru: 3 weekly flights;
Medellín (MDE), Colombia: 2 weekly flights;
San José (SJO), Costa Rica: 4 weekly flights;
San Salvador (SAL), El Salvador: 5 weekly flights;
St Maarten (SXM): 2 weekly flights.
After Viva’s recent demise, Arajet’s intention to open a route to Buenos Aires can be interpreted as a move to capture the failed low cost demand, which was strong both to Bogota and Medellín, Viva’s hub. The Colombian carrier was attractive to travelers that were looking for cheap alternatives to reach the Caribbean and Miami.
Arajet announced that it will double its fleet by 2023 after having closed 2022 with 85,616 passengers transported, with Mexico, Colombia and Guatemala among the destinations with the highest passenger movement.