After a prolonged period of operational pause and internal corporate restructuring, Dominican airline Sky Cana is laying the groundwork for a phased return to the country’s commercial aviation market, with an early focus on passenger charter services across the Caribbean region.
Frank Díaz González, chief executive of both Sky Cana and its parent company Sky Holding, confirmed that the brand has been preserved throughout the reorganization process, and leadership has already put in place a structured roadmap to steadily restore flight operations.
As a core component of this reboot, SETRAD — the group’s Dominican air transport subsidiary, which operates under the RAD 135 regional aviation regulatory framework — is moving forward with the acquisition of an Embraer ERJ-145LR regional jet. The aircraft is on track to be delivered to the Dominican Republic by the end of October 2026, according to company plans.
Once all mandatory aviation certification, aircraft registration, and regulatory approval checks are completed, the jet will be integrated into Sky Cana’s operational fleet via a long-term dry-lease agreement. The first phase of the carrier’s restart will center exclusively on charter services to a curated set of Caribbean destinations, prioritizing steady, demand-aligned growth over rapid expansion.
Down the line, after establishing a foothold in the regional charter market, the company plans to bring larger aircraft into service to scale up its charter network. It will also evaluate the feasibility of resuming full scheduled commercial passenger services, a decision that will hinge on both prevailing market conditions and successful completion of all required regulatory reviews.
“There is no plan to rebuild Sky Cana’s former operations overnight,” Díaz González emphasized, framing the carrier’s return as a deliberate, step-by-step process rooted in strict regulatory compliance, rigorous operational quality control, and disciplined financial management. He added that key takeaways from the airline’s previous period of operation have been directly integrated into the company’s updated business model, and will serve as a guiding framework for the carrier’s expansion into its initial target markets.