SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Apr 15, 2025--
Arajet, the Dominican airline, successfully completed its first flight to the United States. Flight DM 2100 took off from Las Américas International Airport (SDQ) in Santo Domingo and landed at Miami International Airport (MIA), marking a historic milestone for the airline and the Dominican aviation industry.
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This achievement was partly made possible thanks to the Open Skies Agreement, which facilitates greater connectivity between the Dominican Republic and the United States.
The flight carried 168 passengers on a Boeing 737 Max 8, named Los Haitises, and was welcomed by Miami airport authorities as well as U.S. and Dominican government representatives.
Arajet will be flying four times a week between Santo Domingo and Miami starting today and will increase its frequency to daily flights starting this summer, as well as adding a route between Punta Cana and Miami, also with daily flights.
Arajet has already transported more than two million passengers, and this expansion in the US market represents a significant step in strengthening the country's presence in international aviation.
The flight in Santo Domingo was seen off by Monika Infante, CEO of AERODOM, and Ariel Yánez, representing the US Embassy in the Dominican Republic.
Arajet also recognized Pablo Mejía Durán as the first Dominican passenger to fly to the United States with the airline. He stated, "I am proud to travel with Arajet to visit my family in Miami. It is our Dominican airline, and we must support it."
"This is a historic moment for Arajet and for the entire Dominican Republic," said Víctor Pacheco Méndez, CEO of Arajet. "This first flight to the capital of Latin America, Miami, is just the beginning of our commitment to offering efficient and more affordable travel options for our passengers, connecting this city with the entire continent and fostering tourism, business, and cultural exchanges between both nations."
In Miami, the flight was greeted with a welcome and celebratory water jet until the aircraft was parked at Gate E10, where the Dominican and American flags were seen waving in celebration.
"We are proud to welcome Arajet Airlines and thank them for making MIA their first destination in the United States," said Ralph Cutié, Director and Chief Executive Officer of Miami International Airport. "We hope their new flights will attract even more visitors to our community and provide our residents with another affordable option for traveling to the Dominican Republic."
For her part, the Consul General of the Dominican Republic in Miami, Geanilda Vásquez, celebrated the flight, stating: “This flight is an achievement that reflects the growth of our aviation sector and the increasing connectivity that benefits both Dominicans and those who wish to visit our country. I want to congratulate the aviation authorities of both countries, the Arajet team, and everyone who made this possible.”
Arajet's expansion into the U.S. market, which has already flown more than two million passengers since its launch 30 months ago, underscores the rapid growth of the Dominican aviation sector and its ability to compete globally. The airline remains committed to offering world-class service, competitive fares, and expanded routes to meet growing traveler demand.
For more information about Arajet, flight schedules, and future destinations, please visit www.arajet.com.
About Arajet Airlines
Arajet is the Dominican Republic's leading airline, dedicated to providing safe, reliable, and affordable air travel. With a firm commitment to excellence and innovation, the airline continues to expand its route network, connecting the Dominican Republic with key international destinations.
As Arajet arrived in Miami, Arajet Founder & CEO Víctor Pacheco and Arajet First Officer Robert Peña waved the American and Dominican Republic flags.
BASEL, Switzerland & SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Mar 16, 2026--
At the World Agri-Tech Innovation Summit, Syngenta, a global leader in agricultural innovation, today announced it is exploring how quantum computing can help farmers meet the growing demands of food production in a changing climate. The company has partnered with QuantumBasel, Switzerland's first commercial quantum computing hub, to apply quantum technologies to agricultural research and development.
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Farmers worldwide face mounting pressure to produce more food sustainably amid unpredictable weather and evolving pest and disease challenges. Meeting these demands requires new scientific approaches that go beyond what classical computing can deliver, particularly when it comes to understanding the complex molecular and biological systems that underpin crop science.
Developing safe, effective, and sustainable crop protection products requires understanding molecular interactions of extraordinary complexity that classical computers can only approximate. Quantum computing has the future potential to model this complexity with far greater precision, and to predict details about molecular behaviour that have previously been out of reach, bringing new insights into product design and opening new pathways for innovation in agriculture.
To help realize this potential, Syngenta is launching a collaboration with QuantumBasel in Basel, Switzerland – a co-located working model that brings together QuantumBasel’s algorithmic expertise and access to advanced hardware and simulators with Syngenta’s scientists and agricultural R&D capabilities. Initial projects will aim to deepen our understanding of molecular behaviour with insights that could unlock new approaches to discovery and crop science.
"Quantum computing could be a catalyst for the next generation of scientific breakthroughs in agriculture," says Feroz Sheikh, Chief Information and Digital Officer, Syngenta Group. “It has the future potential to give us a deeper understanding of molecular interactions than has ever been possible, delivering insights and solutions that can help growers meet the challenges of a changing world.”
Quantum computing is an emerging technology with significant long-term potential in molecular modelling, AI and beyond. As the technology matures, Syngenta will be well-positioned to explore its application to some of the most complex challenges in crop science, and build the expertise and partnerships needed to apply it meaningfully in agricultural research.
Thomas Landolt, CEO QuantumBasel, says: "Our mission is to apply quantum computing capabilities to industry, and agriculture is one of the most exciting frontiers. By combining QuantumBasel's quantum computing know-how and infrastructure with Syngenta's deep agricultural expertise, we can help growers benefit from faster research cycles, better crop resilience, and more sustainable farming practices. We are excited for the chance to create an impact where it really matters."
About QuantumBasel
QuantumBasel is a competence center for quantum computing and AI and drives access to commercial quantum computing to foster innovation. QuantumBasel is Switzerland’s first and so far only commercial quantum computing hub. QuantumBasel’s team of quantum and data scientists trains and supports companies, conducts projects in quantum computing and AI, and collaborates closely with universities and academic institutions. Through an internationally connected ecosystem, QuantumBasel provides access to advanced know-how and technologies, enabling companies across a variety of industries to achieve innovations through the next generation of information technology. www.quantumbasel.com
About Syngenta
Syngenta is a global leader in agricultural innovation with a presence in more than 90 countries. Syngenta is focused on developing technologies and farming practices that empower farmers, so they can make the transformation required to feed the world’s population while preserving our planet. Its bold scientific discoveries deliver better benefits for farmers and society on a bigger scale than ever before. Guided by its Sustainability Priorities, Syngenta is developing new technologies and solutions that support farmers to grow healthier plants in healthier soil with a higher yield. Syngenta Crop Protection is headquartered in Basel, Switzerland; Syngenta Seeds is headquartered in the United States. Read our stories and follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram & X.
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This document may contain forward-looking statements, which can be identified by terminology such as ‘expect’, ‘would’, ‘will’, ‘potential’, ‘plans’, ‘prospects’, ‘estimated’, ‘aiming’, ‘on track’ and similar expressions. Such statements may be subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause the actual results to differ materially from these statements. For Syngenta, such risks and uncertainties include risks relating to legal proceedings, regulatory approvals, new product development, increasing competition, customer credit risk, general economic and market conditions, compliance and remediation, intellectual property rights, implementation of organizational changes, impairment of intangible assets, consumer perceptions of genetically modified crops and organisms or crop protection chemicals, climatic variations, fluctuations in exchange rates and/or commodity prices, single source supply arrangements, political uncertainty, natural disasters, and breaches of data security or other disruptions of information technology. Syngenta assumes no obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect actual results, changed assumptions or other factors.
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Ion trap, which uses electromagnetic fields to confine and control ions for use as quantum bits (qubits).
