Aviation Awards: Arajet Named Best Startup Airline, Avianca Completes ‘Airline Turnaround of the Year’

Low-cost Dominican airline Arajet was named the world’s Best Startup Airline by the Centre for Aviation (CAPA) during the recent World Aviation Summit in Dubai.

The award, which is reserved for carriers that have started operations in the last three years, is intended to honor “the most innovative among all the new airlines of the world” that is “having the greatest impact on the aviation industry globally,” according to CAPA.

“We are very proud of this award, which is the recognition of a dream come true. Arajet is the story of a startup that was born from the desire that the Dominican diaspora could travel to our country at low prices,” said Víctor Pacheco Méndez, CEO and founder of Arajet.

“Today,” he continued, “that dream is much bigger because we have turned the Dominican Republic into the new hub of the American continent, connecting 22 destinations in 16 countries that allow more than 150 connection possibilities, in just one year.”

Last year, the honor of best startup airline went to Play Airlines. Previous winners also include Cobalt Air and Air Seoul.

Colombian airline Avianca also received a nod during the event with the somewhat dubious distinction of having the “Airline Turnaround of the Year” following its tumultuous experience since the pandemic in the Andean nation.

The following is the full list of this year’s CAPA award winners:

• Airline/Airline Group of the Year: Alaska Airlines
• Low Cost Airline of the Year: Jet2.com
• Regional Airline of the Year: SunExpress
• Airline Turnaround of the Year: Avianca
• Start-up Airline of the Year: Arajet
• Large Airport of the Year: London Gatwick Airport
• Medium Airport of the Year: Austin-Bergstrom International Airport
• Small Airport of the Year: Querétaro International Airport
• Airline Executive of the Year: Anne Rigail, CEO Air France

(Photo courtesy of Arajet)