Sanford airport adds low-cost carrier offering direct flights to Dominican Republic
A low-cost airline is expanding its U.S. footprint to Sanford, where starting this fall it will offer service to the Dominican Republic as the airport's first new carrier since 2021.
Arajet, based in the Dominican Republic, will on Oct. 26 begin direct flights three times a week between Orlando Sanford International Airport and Punta Cana International Airport. Tickets went on sale Wednesday with fares to Punta Cana starting at $138 per person and $162 back to Sanford.
'People are screaming for lower fares,' said Victor Pacheco Mendes, who founded Arajet in 2022 and is chief executive officer. 'And we're going to deliver. … We saw a huge need for lower fares in the [Central Florida] region — but not a cheap product.'
Located about 45 miles northeast of Walt Disney World, the Sanford airport has long sat in the shadow of the much-larger Orlando International Airport — which has about 40 airlines and handled more than 57 million passengers last year, making it one of the busiest airfields in the country.
By comparison, the Sanford airport (SFB) had nearly 2.9 million passengers go through its gates last year. The airport markets itself as a faster and easier way to catch a flight because it's a smaller facility, but Arajet will become just the second airline providing regular service there.
In an email to the Orlando Sentinel, Nicole Martz, Sanford airport's president and CEO, called Arajet's decision to fly out of the airfield an 'exciting' and 'meaningful milestone — not only for our airport but for the communities that we serve on both sides of this new route.'
Martz pointed out that nearly 10,000 Seminole residents — and more than 85,000 in Central Florida — are Dominican.
'It's a vital connection that brings families, cultures and communities closer together,' she said of Arajet's route between Sanford and the Dominican Republic.
Mendes added that the route will appeal to local residents who want to visit friends and family.
'We're expecting to build a strong presence in Orlando and eventually connect travelers to Santo Domingo,' he said, referring to the Dominican Republic's capital.
The airline opened hubs this year in Boston, Chicago, New York and San Juan, and plans to add Miami in June, as it works to increase its U.S. presence
Las Vegas-based Allegiant began offering flights out of Sanford in May 2005 and currently serves 59 U.S. destinations. Sun Country, an ultra-low-cost airline based out of Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, offers charter flights out of the airport.
In late 2021, Flair and Swoop airlines began direct trips to Canada from Sanford. But in 2023, Flair moved to Orlando's airport and Swoop integrated with WestJet, which also flies out of the larger airport.
Arajet currently flies to 26 destinations, mostly in the Caribbean and South America — including Ecuador, Colombia, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina and Jamaica. The airline had nearly 1.6 million flyers last year.
Mendes said the airline has 10 new Boeing 737-Max 8 jets in its fleet and plans to add three this year and four next year for a total of 17 by the end of 2026.
Punta Cana's airport (PUJ) is on Hispaniola's east coast and about 125 miles from Santo Domingo. A tourist destination, Punta Cana is known for its beaches, luxury hotels and resorts.
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