Boeing and Dominican Republic-based Arajet announced that the Caribbean airline has ordered 20 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft and an option to purchase an additional 15 aircraft.
The order is the largest deal ever placed by a Caribbean airline and will be the first customer for the Boeing 737-8-200 in the region, the high-density version of the MAX that can accommodate up to 210 passengers.
«The efficient Boeing 737 MAX, along with the financial and operational support of our partners at Griffin and Bain Capital, gives us the solid foundation needed to provide affordable flights to travelers in the region,» said Victor Pacheco Mendez, founder and CEO. of Arajet.
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The order was finalized in January and is currently attributed to an unidentified customer on Boeing’s order and delivery website.
«These partners believe in our vision and see the same bright future for this market and beyond. The entire team was thrilled to see our first aircraft arrive in Santo Domingo a few days ago, and we look forward to expanding our fleet with more of these amazing jets in the coming months.»
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The company recently took delivery of its first Boeing 737-8 from a five-aircraft deal with Griffin Global Asset Management. As travel and tourism recovers globally, Arajet will generate approximately 4,000 new jobs and significant new economic development for the island nation. Tourism accounts for 8.4% of the Dominican Republic’s GDP.
Arajet was launched this March 14, with the mission to make air travel accessible to travelers to and from the Dominican Republic, the Caribbean and North and South America.
The company will begin operations from Santo Domingo/Las Americas (SDQ) with flights to the Caribbean islands and Central America beginning this spring. Arajet expects to add flights later this year to key North American markets with populations that have significant family ties to the Dominican Republic, including New York, Boston, Miami and Chicago.
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«The 737 MAX is a perfect fit for Arajet and it is an honor to welcome this exciting new operator to the Boeing family,» said Mike Wilson, vice president of sales for Latin America and the Caribbean, Boeing Commercial Airplanes.
«Flying a dedicated 737 MAX fleet will allow Arajet to save on fuel, maintenance and operations costs, and pass those savings on to its customers.» concluded Mike Wilson.
