In April of this year, the Latin American and Caribbean Air Transport Association (ALTA) included Argentina as one of the seven countries in the region that is free of travel restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
That’s why the country’s domestic market began to recover considerably, as evidenced by September data from the National Civil Aviation Agency (ANAC), which shows that domestic passenger levels of just under 1.2 million were 87% above 2021 levels and only 11% below the same month in 2019.
“The market recovered nicely in 2021; we are now almost restored. Passengers in domestic service have returned to 97% of pre-pandemic levels.
“However, they are still lagging as they have only recovered 70% in international markets,” acknowledged Aerolineas Argentinas CEO Pablo Ceriani.
ALTA cited Amadeus data during the second half of 2022, which shows that there are 33 international routes from Argentina, 62% of the number that operated in 2019.
In contrast, Colombia and Mexico, Latin American markets that were more open during the crisis, returned to 85% and 79%, respectively, of their international routes in 2019.
ANAC data for September shows that the number of international passengers is still 31% lower than in 2019.
“We are now recovering more tourism, which has high growth potential. We need more international flights to bring people to our country,” indicated Argentina’s national civil aviation administrator, Paola Tamburelli.
In this sense, the Minister of Transportation, Diego Giuliano, said that they have bet on infrastructure and the construction of a sustainable and lasting regional air system, which is why they are looking for all airlines to grow and develop, together with low-cost and international airlines.
In addition, Aerolíneas Argentinas and low-cost carrier Flybondi have growth plans; the former expects to take on ten more Boeing 737 MAX aircraft in the next three years, while Flybondi aims to add five more 737s by 2023.
With information from A21
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