Sol Lineas Aereas of Rosario, Argentina is reportedly about to lease 3-6 CRJ-200's of the Spanish commuter airline Air Nostrum. These aircraft have become available because Air Nostrum's feeder contract with Iberia has been cancelled due to Iberia parent company IAG's strategic plans changing.
Sol will use the aircraft on longer sectors of its existing route network, most of which are to the Patagonia region of southern Argentina where the airline serves 10 different airports. Some of these sectors are quite long for the carrier's existing fleet of four Saab 340A's and two Saab 340B's. The faster jet-powered CRJ's will reduce flying time on some legs by as much as an hour.
While some reports indicate that the CRJ-200's will complement the Saabs, others claim that they will gradually replace Sol's older and less-efficient A models. The Air Nostrum CRJ's that Sol will acquire are on average 12 years old vs. 24 years for the Sol Saabs.
If the lease goes through, Sol will become the third Argentine airline to operate aircraft of the Canadair CR family with Southern Winds having operated 10 different CRJ-200's in the late 1990's / early 2000's and Andes Lineas Aereas having flown two CRJ-900's in 2010-2011.
Sources: Aviacion News 18Jul13
http://www.sol.com.ar/site/new/index.php/home.php
http://todalaaviacion.blogspot.com.ar/2013/07/novedades-de-sol-
lineas-aereas.html
http://www.sirchandler.com.ar/2013/07/sol-traeria-aviones-
bombardier-para-su-flota/
http://www.airfleets.net/flottecie/Sol%20Lineas%20Aereas-active-
sf3.htm
http://www.airfleets.net/flottecie/Southern%20Winds.htm
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