ARAJET and AERODOM sign an agreement to establish SDQ as an airport base of operations

The ARAJET airline and Aeropuertos Dominicanos Siglo XXI (AERODOM) – a subsidiary of VINCI Airports – signed an agreement to establish the José Francisco Peña Gómez Las Américas International Airport (AILA-JFPG) in the city of Santo Domingo as an operating base.

Thanks to the signed agreement, the AILA-JFPG will serve as the home of ARAJET. In practice, this means that the airline will be basing its planes and crew there, and will have the city of Santo Domingo as the starting point for all flights. Planes, as a rule, will return there for the night if the duration of the flight allows it.

The president of the board of directors of ARAJET, Victor M. Pacheco Méndez commented: “We are very excited to start flying from the Las Américas International Airport, JFPG as the base airport for our operations. Being Santo Domingo the city that concentrates the largest population in the country, we know that it will be of great comfort for all our passengers to fly from the AILA-JFPG located a few minutes from the city, as well as connecting with the beaches of La Romana and Punta Cane".

"We are happy that ARAJET has selected VINCI Airports as its partner to have its base in Santo Domingo from Las Américas International Airport, JFPG. Without a doubt, this is the beginning of a new era of travel that will be key to the expansion and growth of this terminal. We will be delighted to be able to offer passengers more flight options between the Dominican Republic and the rest of the Americas together with ARAJET”, said Monika Infante, General Director of AERODOM.

ARAJET will be the first low-cost airline in the Caribbean, providing nonstop services to more than 40 destinations in the United States, Mexico, South America, Central America and the Caribbean. ARAJET is led by a board and management team with extensive experience in low-cost airlines. It is backed by Boeing, as well as investors such as Griffin and Bain Capital.

ARAJET will begin its flights in July 2022 with five new Boeing 737 MAX aircraft, specifically the high-capacity 737-8-200 model. The airline made the purchase of 20 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft that are in the manufacturing process, with the option to acquire an additional 15 jets, which together with the existing lease agreements totals a fleet of 40 aircraft.

“The announcement of the selection of AILA-JFPG as a base airport will have a very positive economic impact in the area by generating new direct and indirect jobs and bringing more tourists to the Dominican Republic. Our clients will benefit from new low-cost routes, with interesting options. schedule and travel. We are very happy with this announcement and we will continue to offer all our support to ARAJET for its success", added the CEO of AERODOM.

VINCI Airports is the main global private airport operator, which since 2016 manages AERODOM in the Dominican Republic, a company that holds the concession to operate six airports in the country, expiring in 2030. It handles an average of five million passengers annually who travel to 58 cities around the world.

Las Américas International Airport – José Francisco Peña Gómez is the main air terminal in the Dominican Republic due to its location and ranks second in the flow of regular passengers in the country. AERODOM recently concluded the implementation of important infrastructure improvements as part of an aggressive modernization and optimization plan that seeks to improve the passenger experience, facilitate exports and offer the best gateways to the Dominican Republic.

The agreement was announced during the DATE 2022 fair, organized by ASONAHORES.