New Airline Launching This Fall In Boston Could Be Big Win For Immigrant, Tourist Communities

BOSTON, MA — Boston Logan is set to welcome a new airline offering nonstop service from the city to Las Américas Santo Domingo Airport (SDQ).

The new nonstop route will be offered from Dominican Republic-based Arajet and will offer fares starting at $170. Flights begin on Nov. 20 and are on sale now.

"Launching this new service in Boston is about more than expanding our business, it’s about building a bridge between communities," said Victor Pacheco, CEO and founder of Arajet. "We are catering to the large Latin and Dominican diaspora in the greater Boston area by delivering more affordable, convenient flight options so families can reconnect, and travelers can explore the Dominican Republic and beyond."

According to a Boston Plans report, in 2017 there were nearly 38,000 Dominican residents of Boston and over 100,000 residents in Massachusetts. In nearby Rhode Island, 19 percent of the state's immigrant population is from the Dominican Republic, according to an American Immigration Council report.

The timing for the flight addition makes sense, as the number of Dominican residents of Boston has more than doubled since 2000, and the native-born percentage of Dominican residents has also grown substantially.

"The inauguration of Arajet's direct flights between Santo Domingo and Boston represents a historic moment for our Dominican community in this city and throughout the New England region," said Antonio Almonte, Consul General of the Dominican Republic in Boston. "This achievement is the result of the commitment of President Luis Abinader, who, through the Open Skies Agreement, has made possible that companies like Arajet can launch new options so that Dominicans in this region can travel at more affordable prices and in better conditions."

Once it launches, the Boston route will have four direct flights to Santo Domingo per week on Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays.