ROUTE UPDATES: Aerolineas Argentinas, Andes & LAN Argentina to fly Argentina-Originating Charters this Summer

Andes Lineas Aereas will be operating many charters from Argentina to Brazil and the Dominican Republic this summer with their MD-80's.  Pictured is Andes MD-83, LV-BTH, landing at Buenos Aires Aeroparque (AEP) on 24Sep10.  Photo: Phil Perry  

Three airlines have been authorized by the Argentine ANAC to fly charters from Argentina to foreign destinations during the upcoming southern hemisphere summer - Aerolineas Argentinas, Andes and LAN Argentina.

The process was lengthy with the conclusion only arrived at recently.  Aerolineas Argentinas was given first choice of routes with other carriers only allowed to fly the routes that Aerolineas agrees to, effectively giving the national carrier a regulatory role in Argentine aviation policy.

The ANAC also required that the airlines operating charters from Argentina must be Argentine, operate regularly scheduled services (not charter-only operators) and use aircraft registered in Argentina.  This ruled out charter-only carriers like Leal Lineas Aereas that flew two MD-83's and an MD-87 on charters in the past and the use of foreign aircraft such as Vueling A320's leased in by Andes last year. 

Some of the seats that were sold to tour operators will be operated on a pure-charter basis while others will be part-charters using regularly-scheduled flights. 

Charter flights will include:

Aerolineas Argentinas 

Buenos Aires Ezeiza (EZE) - Porto Seguro (BPS), 4x/week 

Buenos Aires Ezeiza (EZE) - Salvador de Bahia (SSA), 4x/week

Because these destinations are in the far northeastern coast of Brazil, Aerolineas will likely operate 737-700/800's or A340's on these routes (not Austral's EMB-190's).

Part-charters with extra sections will also be operated from Buenos Aires Ezeiza (EZE) to Caracas (CCS), Rio de Janeiro Galeao (GIG), Florianopolis (FLN), and Cancun (CUN)

Andes Lineas Aereas

Buenos Aires Ezeiza (EZE) - Punta Cana (PUJ), Dominican Republic

Cordoba (COR) - Punta Cana (PUJ), Dominican Republic

Rosario (ROS) - Punta Cana (PUJ), Dominican Republic

Buenos Aires Ezeiza (EZE) - Salvador de Bahia (SSA)

Cordoba (COR) - Salvador de Bahia (SSA)

Rosario (ROS) - Salvador de Bahia (SSA)

Buenos Aires Ezeiza (EZE) - Porto Seguro (BPS) 

Cordoba (COR) - Porto Seguro (BPS) 

Buenos Aires Ezeiza (EZE) - Samana (AZS), Dominican Republic

Rosario (ROS) - Samana (AZS), Dominican Republic

Buenos Aires Ezeiza (EZE) - La Romana (LRM), Dominican Republic

Cordoba (COR) - Talara (TYL) in northwestern Peru, unconfirmed

All to be operated 1x/week with MD-80's. 

LAN Argentina

Cordoba (COR) - Salta (SLA) - Porto Seguro (BPS) - Maceio (MCZ), Daily with A320

Source: Aviacion News 01Nov12

Please note that La Voz, Cordoba's daily newspaper, reported in its online edition on 26Oct12 that charters to be operated from Cordoba (COR) will be the following, somewhat different from Aviacion News: 

Andes Lineas Aereas 

Recife (REC)
Salvador de Bahía (SSA)
Punta Cana (PUJ)
La Romana (LRM)
Punta Sal / Talara (TYL) 

All above with 1x/week flights. 

Porto Seguro (BPS) with 2x/week flights.

LAN Argentina

Maceio (MCZ), 1x/week