Arajet's Jamaica-Dominican Republic direct flights see 1600% surge in passenger traffic

Jamaica: The direct flights by Arajet Airlines which kicked off in 2022 between Jamaica and the Dominican Republic has turned out to be highly successful with a surge of 1600% in passenger traffic.

According to the information, from what was early known to be practically non existent figures in 2020, the airline reported that the route reached 3300 passengers in 2022 followed by a continuous growth. By June 2024, the number of visitors exceeded a whopping 58000, noted the airline.

The remarkable increase was also highlighted by the Embassy of the Dominican Republic in Jamaica. In 2022, the embassy said that it had obtained special permission from Jamaican officials after Dominican Airlines to operate direct commercial flights between the two islands, in spite of the Air Services Agreement not being signed.

The Dominican Ambassador to Jamaica, Angie Martinez noted that achieving the air connectivity establishment between the two countries has become a real game changer for bilateral relations.

He further added that the increase in passenger flow by 1600% is just an example of how relations between the two have changes significantly. 

In addition to this, the Chief Executive Officer and Founder of Arajet, Victor Pacheco also expressed his satisfaction with the success of the route and reaffirmed the airline’s commitment to continue to facilitate air transport between the two important Caribbean destinations.

He expressed his pride and said that the increase in passenger flow showcases the huge demand and potential of this connection and also the airline’s commitment to offer high quality services at a price which is accessible to all. 

The airline further noted that before the introduction of this flight, travelling from the Dominican Republic to Jamaica was very complicated as it involved stopovers in the United States, Panama or Turks and Caicos. It took a lenghy time of 11 to 16 hours which has now been reduced to just one hour. 

Pacheco emphasised that now they have simplified the process, easing the travellers, giving them a chance to enjoy a fast and efficient journey. Also, Arajet’s ultra low cost model has contributed to reducing the ticket price by around 60%, which makes the transport much more accessible.