The Chicago Department of Aviation (CDA) and ultra low-cost Dominican airline Arajet announced new direct service from O’Hare International Airport to Punta Cana International Airport (PUJ) in the Dominican Republic, making the carrier the 47th airline to serve O’Hare. The thrice-weekly service starts on Nov. 15 and marks Arajet’s first route in the Midwest and its fifth in the United States after launching its first U.S. ticket sales in February 2025. The Chicago service joins Arajet’s other American routes to Boston, Miami, New York and San Juan, all operated with the carrier’s fleet of new Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft. The Punta Cana service will efficiently connect Chicago and the Midwest to multiple major South American destinations including Buenos Aires, Argentina; Lima, Peru; Quito, Ecuador; and São Paulo, Brazil. Punta Cana is the second-largest Caribbean market from Chicago behind San Juan, which will also be connected to Chicago thanks to the new route. American Airlines, Frontier Airlines and United Airlines also serve Punta Cana nonstop from O’Hare, while Southwest provides direct flights to Punta Cana from Chicago Midway International Airport.