Sky Cana Plans Gradual Return to Dominican Aviation Market With Caribbean Charter Flights

Sky Cana is preparing to return to the Dominican Republic’s aviation market after a period of operational suspension and restructuring, with the airline planning to restart on a smaller scale through passenger charter flights to selected destinations across the Caribbean.

The first step in the plan is the incorporation of an Embraer ERJ-145LR through Servicios de Transporte Aéreo Dominicano (SETRAD), an operator within the Sky Holding group that operates under Dominican RAD 135 regulations. The aircraft is expected to arrive in the Dominican Republic by the end of October 2026, although it will still require certification, registration and the corresponding regulatory approvals before entering service.

Sky Cana will begin with a smaller aircraft

Rather than immediately returning to the larger-scale operation associated with its previous fleet, Sky Cana is adopting a more gradual strategy.

Once the regulatory process is completed, the ERJ-145LR is expected to be placed into Sky Cana’s operations through a dry-lease agreement. Under this type of arrangement, the aircraft is leased without crew, maintenance or insurance, allowing the operator to manage those elements separately.

The choice of the regional jet also reflects the airline’s decision to match aircraft capacity with the markets it intends to serve during its initial phase. Embraer describes the ERJ-145 as a regional aircraft designed to provide smaller capacity for routes where deploying a larger jet may not be economically efficient. The Long Range version can carry a full passenger load for up to approximately 1,550 nautical miles (2,873 kilometers) under the manufacturer’s stated operating assumptions.

Initial focus will be Caribbean charter markets

Sky Cana’s first operations are expected to consist of passenger charter flights within the Caribbean, rather than a broad network of scheduled services.

The company has not announced a complete list of destinations for the initial operation. Instead, markets will be selected according to demand, operational feasibility and the regulatory requirements applicable to each route.

That approach gives the airline greater flexibility as it rebuilds its operation. Charter flying can allow an operator to serve specific travel demand without immediately committing to a large network of fixed scheduled routes.

The strategy also comes as the Dominican Republic continues to experience strong growth in international air traffic. The country’s aviation authorities reported 155,720 air operations through August 2026, while more than 50 million passengers had been transported through Dominican airports over the previous three years.

A different strategy from Sky Cana’s previous operation

Sky Cana previously operated a broader range of aviation services, including passenger flights, charters, ACMI operations and cargo services. Its earlier fleet included aircraft such as the ATR 72 and several Airbus models, including the A320, A321 and A330.

The new plan represents a significant reduction in initial operating scale. Instead of attempting to recreate that network immediately, the company says it intends to use the experience gained during its previous operations to build a more controlled business model.

Frank Díaz González, president of Sky Cana and Sky Holding, said the company is not attempting to rebuild its previous operation overnight. The new approach is centered on regulatory compliance, operational control and financial discipline, with expansion dependent on the results of the initial stage.

A larger aircraft could follow

The ERJ-145LR is intended to be the starting point rather than the final configuration of Sky Cana’s return.

Díaz González said the company eventually plans to add an aircraft with greater capacity. That would allow Sky Cana to expand its charter program and potentially consider a return to scheduled passenger services.

Any move toward regular scheduled flights, however, would depend on market conditions as well as the necessary regulatory approvals. The company has therefore left the timing and scale of such a potential expansion open.

For passengers, the immediate significance is that Sky Cana is not announcing a full-scale network relaunch. The initial operation is expected to be limited and focused on specific Caribbean charter opportunities, with further growth dependent on how the new model performs.

Dominican aviation market provides room for regional operators

The planned return comes against a backdrop of expanding air connectivity in the Dominican Republic. Tourism remains a major driver of that growth: the country welcomed 6.6 million visitors during the first half of 2026, including almost 5 million tourists arriving by air, according to government figures.

At the same time, the Dominican Republic has continued to expand its bilateral aviation relationships. In May, the country signed a new air services agreement with Trinidad and Tobago that provides for additional air connectivity, including non-scheduled and multidestination air transport.

That environment creates opportunities for carriers capable of serving smaller or specialized markets, although competition remains strong and the economics of each route will determine whether new services can be sustained.

For now, Sky Cana’s strategy is deliberately cautious. The arrival of the ERJ-145LR, followed by certification and authorization, will provide the first practical test of the airline’s new operating model. If the charter program performs as planned, the company could then move toward larger aircraft and a broader presence in the Caribbean.

Sky Cana’s return is therefore being positioned not as an immediate restoration of its former network, but as the beginning of a smaller, more controlled second phase for the Dominican airline.