Dominican Republic-based Arajet has signed a long-term lease agreement with BOC Aviation for five new Boeing 737-8 aircraft, further expanding its fleet as the airline accelerates its growth across the Americas.
BOC announced on Feb. 24 that it has ordered the aircraft directly from Boeing and will lease them straight to Arajet. All five will be powered by CFM Leap 1B engines and are scheduled for delivery in 2026 and 2027. The airline currently operates 10 737-8s and has 10 more on firm order, along with four 737-8200s, according to CAPA Fleet Database.
Speaking to Aviation Week’s Window Seat podcast, Arajet founder and CEO Victor Pacheco said the carrier is scheduled to take delivery of three more aircraft in 2025, although supply chain challenges could affect the timeline.
“We’re pretty confident that we’ll receive the 11th and 12th aircraft, but the 13th could slip because it has a December delivery date,” he explained. “We’ll probably end the year with 12 aircraft, but in 2026 we’re expecting to add a further six.”
The deal with BOC marks another milestone for Arajet, which has been rapidly growing since launching operations in September 2022. The LCC has built a hub-and-spoke model centered around Santo Domingo’s Las Américas International Airport, alongside a secondary base in Punta Cana.
Since launching, Arajet has introduced service to 21 destinations in 15 countries, including Argentina, Canada, Ecuador, Mexico, and Peru. Pacheco said the airline’s Santo Domingo hub has allowed it to connect passengers across the region and create new travel flows that previously did not exist.
The planned fleet expansion comes as Arajet prepares to enter the U.S. market following the December 2024 open skies agreement between the U.S. and the Dominican Republic. The airline has already announced new routes to Miami and San Juan, Puerto Rico, with plans to launch six or seven additional U.S. destinations this year.
Pacheco emphasized the importance of open skies, saying it was essential for Arajet’s long-term expansion and strategy to connect passengers between North America and Latin America.
“Without open skies, you have an airline that is fighting only with one hand,” he said. “We always expected that the U.S. would be part of our strategy much sooner, but now that it’s here, we are ready to grow.”
Arajet expects North America to become one of its most significant markets, with half of its revenue projected to come from the region by 2028.