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Arajet’s Rapid US Expansion: Six Cities And More To Come

November 26, 2025 John Cushma 53

Key Takeaways

  • Dominican low-cost carrier Arajet now serves six US cities from its hubs in Santo Domingo and Punta Cana.

  • The airline operates a fleet of 12 Boeing 737 MAX 8s, with 15 more on the way, fueling fast regional growth.

  • Arajet faces intense competition from US majors and other Caribbean players, but is seeking approval for up to 10 additional US routes.

Arajet’s US Footprint So Far

Arajet launched its first US route on April 11, linking Santo Domingo (SDQ) with Miami (MIA). The carrier started with four weekly flights and quickly upgraded the route to daily for the summer season.

As demand grew, Arajet added a second Florida route, flying Miami–Punta Cana (PUJ) from June. From there, the expansion accelerated:

Arajet Expands US Presence with New Routes to Three Cities
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Current and announced US routes include:

In just months, Arajet has gone from zero US presence to a six-city network, using Santo Domingo and Punta Cana as its primary hubs.

Competitive Pressure On Key Routes

Arajet is entering some of the toughest markets in the hemisphere.

  • Miami

    • A major fortress hub for American Airlines, which operates multiple daily flights to both Santo Domingo and Punta Cana.

    • Arajet competes with just one daily flight on each route, relying on lower fares and a lean cost base.

  • Newark

    • United Airlines serves both Santo Domingo and Punta Cana with up to three daily flights on each route.

    • JetBlue also flies Newark – Santo Domingo daily.

    • Arajet is positioning itself as another low-cost alternative on these heavily contested city pairs.

  • Chicago O’Hare

    • American, Frontier, and United all fly Chicago – Punta Cana.

    • Arajet joins the fray with its SDQ–ORD service, targeting VFR (visiting friends and relatives) and leisure traffic via its Dominican hub.

  • Boston

    • JetBlue runs up to two daily flights between Boston and Santo Domingo.

    • Delta adds a seasonal daily service from Boston to Punta Cana in winter.

    • Arajet’s 4x weekly SDQ–BOS service has to carve out a niche on price and connectivity.

In every case, Arajet is going up against deep-pocketed incumbents with strong local loyalty. Its advantage is a single-type MAX 8 fleet and ultra-low-cost model.

Fleet And Growth Strategy

Arajet is now the flag carrier and largest airline of the Dominican Republic, with:

  • 12 Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft in service

  • 15 additional MAX 8s on order

The airline started life as Dominican Wings, a charter operator, before being rebranded and relaunched as an ultra-low-cost carrier in 2022. Backed by investment from Bain Capital and Griffin Global Asset Management, it has moved quickly to exploit the Dominican Republic’s position as the Caribbean’s most visited destination, which surpassed 10 million arrivals last year.

By the end of this year, Arajet expects to reach 30 destinations in 18 countries across:

  • North America

  • Central America

  • The Caribbean

  • South America

The strategy is clear: use Santo Domingo (and increasingly Punta Cana) as a low-cost hub linking North and South America, with the 737 MAX 8 providing the right mix of range and seat costs.

Future US Expansion Plans

The United States is central to Arajet’s long-term growth. With a US–Dominican Republic open-skies agreement now in place, Arajet has already applied to operate up to 10 additional US routes.

Potential future cities under consideration include:

  • Atlanta

  • Dallas

  • Denver

  • Houston

  • Los Angeles

  • Philadelphia

  • Washington, D.C.

On the Dominican side, Arajet is also evaluating launching US flights from Santiago de los Caballeros, which would give it a third major point in the country and access to a large VFR market.

If even a portion of these routes are approved and launched, Arajet’s US network could double or triple in the next few years.

Bottom Line

Arajet has moved from regional upstart to serious Caribbean player in just a few years, and its US footprint is growing fast. The carrier now serves six American cities from Santo Domingo and Punta Cana, with more routes in the pipeline and additional MAX 8s on the way.

Competition from American, United, JetBlue, Delta, and others is fierce, but Arajet is betting that low fares, a modern single-type fleet, and a strategic Dominican hub will give it room to grow. If its US expansion plans materialize, expect to see Arajet’s red-and-white 737 MAX jets at many more American airports in the not-too-distant future.

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