Low-cost airlines are expanding their US footprint to Sanford. Starting this fall, we will serve the Dominican Republic as the airport’s first new airline since 2021.
Based in the Dominican Republic, Aradget will begin direct flights three times a week between Orlando Sanford International Airport and Punta Cana International Airport on October 26th. Tickets were on sale Wednesday, with fares from $138 per person, from $162 to Punta Cana back to Sanford.
Victor Pacheco Mendes, CEO of Aradette in 2022, said: “And we’re going to deliver… we’ve found that lower freight is very necessary in the (central Florida) area, but it’s not a cheap product.”
Located about 45 miles northeast of Walt Disney World, Sanford Airport has long been sitting in the shadows of the much larger Orlando International Airport. It has around 40 airlines, serving over 57 million passengers last year, making it one of the busiest airfields in the country.
In comparison, nearly 2.9 million passengers passed through the gates last year at Sanford Airport (SFB). The airport is sold as a faster and easier way to board a flight, as it is a smaller facility. Currently, Arajet will be the second airline to provide regular services there.
In an email to the Orlando Sentinel, Sanford Airport’s president and CEO Nicole Martz called Aladd’s decision to jump out of the airfield “exciting” and “a meaningful milestone – for the community serving both sides of this new route, not just the airport.” ”
Martz noted that around 10,000 Seminole residents, and more than 85,000 in central Florida, are Dominicans.
“This is an important connection that closely links families, cultures and communities,” she said of the Aladdget route between Sanford and the Dominican Republic.
Mendes added that the route appeals to local residents who want to visit their friends and family.
“We hope to build a strong presence in Orlando and ultimately connect travelers to Santo Domingo,” he said, referring to the capital of the Dominican Republic.
The airline will open hubs in Boston, Chicago, New York and San Juan this year, with Miami scheduled to be added in June.
Las Vegas-based Allegiant began offering flights from Sanford in May 2005 and currently serves 59 US destinations. An ultra-low-cost airline based in Sun Country, Minneapolis St. Paul International Airport offers charter flights from the airport.
In late 2021, Flair and Swoop Airlines began a direct trip from Sanford to Canada. However, in 2023, Flair moved to the Orlando airport, where Sweep was integrated with WestJet.
Aladdette currently flies to 26 destinations, mainly 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, with a total of 17 additional this year and next year by the end of 2026.
The Punta Cana Airport (PUJ) is located on the east coast of Hispaniola and is approximately 125 miles from Santo Domingo. Punta Cana, a tourist destination, is known for its beaches, luxury hotels and resorts.
Original issue: May 28, 2025, 1:34pm EDT
