Dominican low-cost carrier Arajet has quietly become one of the busiest newcomers in Latin American aviation. The airline announced it has now carried five million passengers since launching flights in September 2022 — a striking figure for a carrier barely three years into operation, and one that positions the Dominican Republic as more than just a beach stop.
The numbers behind the milestone keep climbing. In 2025 the airline moved 1,480,278 passengers, 37% more than the year before, and in the first half of 2026 it carried just over 1.02 million passengers against roughly 625,000 in the same stretch of 2025 — a jump of nearly 64%. Arajet now flies to more than 30 destinations across 17 countries, running a twin-hub setup out of Santo Domingo and Punta Cana.
That dual-hub model is the interesting part for travellers. Santo Domingo acts as the connecting airport for people moving between North, Central and South America and the Caribbean, while Punta Cana serves the resort-and-beach crowd. Arajet also flies between the two cities, so you can pair a capital-city stay with a Caribbean coast escape on a single itinerary — something the country's tourism sector is keen to promote, since every connection funnels visitors into local hotels, restaurants, excursions and transport.
CEO and founder Víctor Pacheco framed the milestone as proof the country can operate a genuine continental connector, arguing each new route widens the market for Dominican tourism and trade. To mark the occasion, the airline tracked down its five millionth passenger — flying to New York — through an interactive stunt with Dominican content creator Semipopi, rewarding the traveller with a free round-trip ticket anywhere on the network.
Why should this matter for your next trip? Because Arajet's growth has made multi-country Caribbean and Latin American itineraries noticeably cheaper and simpler. Instead of routing through Miami or Panama City, you can now connect in Santo Domingo on the way between places like Buenos Aires, Bogotá, New York and smaller Caribbean islands — often at low-cost fares, and with the option of turning your layover into a Dominican holiday. For anyone who has written off the DR as an all-inclusive-only destination, the rise of this network makes a two-stop trip — colonial Santo Domingo plus Punta Cana's beaches — an easy, affordable combination.
