Arajet, the flag carrier of the Caribbean nation of the Dominican Republic, has announced it intends to expand its presence in the US by launching direct flights from Santo Domingo to New York. Starting June 16, 2025, the carrier will operate between its home base at Santo Domingo-Las Américas Airport (SDQ) and Newark-Liberty International Airport (EWR) using its fleet of Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft.
The new route is being launched to serve as a vital connection between the Dominican Republic and the New York metropolitan area, which is home to the largest community of the Dominican diaspora outside of the Dominican Republic. The sector length is 1,557 miles (2,492km) – well within the Boeing 737 MAX 8’s range envelope.
Arajet made the announcement regarding its latest route on March 10, 2025, at a special event held at the the Gregorio Luperón school in Washington Heights, New Jersey – a community with a large Dominican population. Present were a New York congressman of Dominican origin, Adriano Espaillat, as well as the Dominican consuls, Jesús Vázquez and José Santana, from New York and New Jersey respectively.
“Arajet is committed to making air travel accessible and affordable for the Dominican community and American tourists alike, and New York is a key market to strengthen our U.S. presence,” said Victor Pacheco, CEO and founder of Arajet. “The Newark service will complement routes between the DR, Miami, and San Juan, Puerto Rico, to establish Arajet as a carrier of choice for US travelers booking vacations and getaways as well as visiting friends and family. We look forward to welcoming travelers with the convenience, affordability, and exceptional service Arajet is known for.”
To boost the airline’s new service, the carrier will be marketing a range of onward connection possibilities through its hub at Santo Domingo. The airline connects the Caribbean island with various cities distributed across the rest of the Caribbean, Central America, and South America, as well as Toronto, Montreal, and Miami in North America.
After beginning operations in 2022, the airline now operates two bases, in Las Americas Airport in Santo Domingo and Punta Cana International Airport (PUJ), with a fleet of ten leased Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft. Each aircraft is configured in a two-class configuration with eight business class and 177 economy class seats.
Earlier in March 2025, Arajet announced it had reached an agreement with BOC Aviation for the lease of five additional Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft to provide the capacity it needs for expansion. All aircraft will be equipped with CFM LEAP-1B engines and are expected to be delivered to the airline in 2026 and 2027.
