A new low-cost airline is entering the Canadian market. Starting from October 24, “Arajet” will operate direct flights between Toronto and Santo Domingo, the capital of the Dominican Republic. The airline will also begin direct flights from Montreal to the same destination starting November 7.

Passengers of “Arajet” will be able to travel to Santo Domingo for less than 100 Canadian dollars, as one-way ticket prices start from 98 dollars plus taxes.

Santo Domingo is one of the destinations favored by many Canadian tourists, especially in winter, to enjoy its warmth and beaches, escaping the long and bitter Canadian winter.

Dominican “Arajet” is the latest low-cost airline to enter the crowded Canadian market for this type of air travel.

Two weeks ago, American “Breeze Airways” launched a campaign to attract Canadian customers wishing to travel to the U.S. state of Florida, which is a favorite destination for Canadians, particularly Quebecers, during winter.

Several other companies are also competing in the low-cost airline market to attract Canadian customers, including “Flair Airlines,” based at Edmonton International Airport in Alberta, which recently announced the launch of three new direct flights.

“Lynx Air,” which was established in April 2022, also focuses on sunny destinations. The company's headquarters is located at Calgary International Airport, also in Alberta.

Meanwhile, “WestJet” closed its low-cost airline branch, “Swoop,” in June. “WestJet,” headquartered at Calgary International Airport as well, is the second-largest Canadian airline after Air Canada.

A different model...

The CEO of “Arajet,” Victor Pacheco, stated that his company operates differently from other low-cost airlines, relying on a model that connects passengers to distant airports starting from its hub at Santo Domingo Airport.

Pacheco also added that the model has proven effective, as nearly half of the 10,000 tickets sold to Canadian tourists since the company's launch were for destinations other than Santo Domingo.

According to a document from the Dominican Republic's Ministry of Tourism published in 2021, 865,927 Canadians arrived at Punta Cana Airport, the busiest in this Caribbean country, in 2019, before the Santo Domingo capital airport.