Published on
October 29, 2025
The ultra-low-cost carrier JetSMART Airlines, like its Colombia-based counterparts, has received authorisation from the Dominican Republic’s Civil Aviation Board (JAC) to begin operations on two routes to and from Colombia and the Dominican Republic. This decision, issued on August 13, 2025, during the JAC’s ordinary session, is likely to increase competition and lower the price of air travel services on the bilateral routes within the scope of the JAC’s domestic and international scheduled air services.
JetSMART Airlines has announced the addition of round-trip services between Medellin and Punta Cana and between Cali and Punta Cana to its route network as part of its strategy to broaden the range of travel options available to Colombians. This is part of the framework of the Air Transport Agreement concluded between Colombia and the Dominican Republic, which already enhanced competition between airlines as well as the degree of access between the two nations. The routes are anticipated to increase the competition for air travel services in the region and will add considerably to the range of low-cost travel opportunities available.
Strengthened Connections Between Colombia and the Dominican Republic
With the addition of connections from Medellin and Cali to Punta Cana, the airline hopes to implement its JetSMART expansion strategy, targeting not only Colombia but the Dominican Republic as well. As a low-cost airline, JetSMART also hopes to gain a portion of the business and cultural exchange international travel as well as tourism. These routes are expected to strengthen the already growing tourism market between Colombia and Dominican Republic JetSMART plans to service.
As of now, Colombia is ranked third, after the US and Canada, in tourist markets for the Dominican Republic. These new additions JetSMART plans to service coupled with its low prices will greatly increase the ease and affordability of travel for Colombian tourists as well as Dominican Republic citizens. In turn, these new routes are expected to increase the number of Dominican Republic tourists coming from Colombia to Punta Cana and Santo Domingo, along with other destinations in the country, to capture the additional tourism revenue.
Furthermore, Colombia will also benefit from the new routes as they will ease access for tourists from the Dominican Republic to Colombia’s cities such as Bogota, Cali and Medellin along with its diverse and rich nature, culture and history. This will enhance JetSMART’s tourism market in Colombia.
These routes were designed to enable travel between Punta Cana and Medellin and Cali. The acquisition of these routes is envisioned to provide considerable advantages to the targeted nations. Given the fact that JetSMART is a no-frills airline, the expected advantage to the market will be the affordability of the travel. These tickets are expected to attract a substantial section of the traveling populace who normally disregard these flights. These flights seem to be the preferred choice to these customers now.
Direct flights can now be booked which are more convenient and economical than alternative forms of travel. Colombian visitors to the Dominican Republic, on the other hand, can buy tickets through Copa, which offers very low priced tickets to several destinations. Given that Punta Cana and Medellin are two important cultural and commercial center links, dominican tourists are expected to benefit from the low priced flights offered by Cabo and Cali.
Individual tourists will not be the only ones who benefit from the new routes, the Dominican Republic and Colombia will also profit from the new tourism routes infrastructure. New routes will lead to more passengers, and demand for hotels, restaurants, and tours will increase, in turn improving the economies of the newly connected flights.
The Increasing Influence of Low-Cost Airlines in the Industry
The contribution to tourism markets by airlines such as JetSMART and other low-cost carriers is changing the dynamics of the region. In response to the demand for inexpensive travel to international locations, carriers such as JetSMART provide invaluable options. This is particularly the case in Latin America, where travelers on a budget prefer direct flights in comparison to connecting flights.
There is a great deal of evidence to support the theory that JetSMART Airlines expansion on the Colombia to Dominican Republic route will lead to imitation from other competing airlines. This will foster a greater level of competition and broaden access for air travel to the 2 regions. The competitiveness of the aviation market in the area is changing, and better connectivity brings stimulation to both countries tourism that is being discussed.
The Regulatory Frameworks Relating to Airline Expansion Growth
The Dominican Republic, via the Dominican Republic Civil Aviation Board, JAC, has mastered the handling of permits required to open the new routes to Civil Aviation purposes, and in collaboration with the Air Transport Agreement copulated ‘twixt the two countries. In the unrelenting efforts, to, however, grab the dual fuel-slash-basket market in the Dominican Republic. As with JetSMART and other new entrants, the Dominican Republic’s low-cost policy aims to increase the supply of competitively priced international travel.
Currently, both countries in the contract are likely to observe an increase in the number of visitors. This contract is expected to grow further between the two countries. This is new in the context of the bilateral relations, as the new routes, together with the development of bilateral relations, could greatly improve regional tourism.
The other side of the JetSMART Airlines stretching of services along the Colombia- Dominican Republic axis is that it is bound to benefit the Colombia- Dominican Republic aircraft industry. This could in turn stimulate other routes in the Colombia-Dominican Republic axis and new direct routes offered by Dominican Republic airlines. Both countries are likely to strengthen the industry by cooperative agreements with their domestic airlines.
Downloading the additional routes will likely increase the volume of JetSMART’s existing routes alongside the newly established routes spanning Medellin and Punta Cana. This will strengthen the existing routes which JetSMART offers between Punta Cana and the main Colombian cities and on the other side the rapidly developing secondary metro centres of Medellin and Cali which together with the main centers comprise the elevated triangular Medellin Cali Punta Cana. The founders have started from an extreme which will surely facilitate access to the winter vacationing migrants from the Colombian and Venezuelan markets.
Conclusion
JetSMART’s focus on Medellin and Cali will be reinforced by the other routes and the existing partnerships with Colombian airlines. The point of departure is in the much larger volume of travelers heading from Venezuela and Colombia to the Caribbean and from Venezuela to Colombia and the subsequence of them traveling from landing in Punta Cana on the Caribbean side.
