FLEET UPDATE: Andes Lineas Aereas reportedly to add 6th MD-80 and two used 737-800's

Andes Lineas Aereas of Salta will reportedly add MD-83, N926AV (c/n 49630/1591), to its fleet in February.  The aircraft, which currently operates mostly charter flights for Orange Air of Sanford, Florida, flew with Austral Lineas Aereas as LV-BEG for almost nine years between 2006 and 2015 after a nearly 17-year career with Spanair since its initial delivery in 1989.  It is a coming home of sorts to Argentina for the airplane after a two-year hiatus. 

More significant is the news that Andes is looking to add two used 737-800's to its fleet in March with more to be added over time as replacements for its ageing MD-80 fleet. The airline hopes to have ten 737-800's by the end of 2017, presumably to operate some of the new routes that it applied for at the ANAC Argentine aviation authority's public route hearings on 27Dec16.  See this link to a previous posting for more details:

http://argentina-airline-news.blogspot.com.ar/2017/01/airline-route-update-andes-lineas.html

The 737-800 is a third-generation narrow body jet compared to the second-generation MD-80 Series. which is noisier and consumes considerably more fuel than the 737-800.

Sources:

http://linea-ala.blogspot.com.ar/2016/12/andes-lineas-aereas-se-renueva.html
https://aerospotter.blogspot.com.ar/2016/12/novedades-en-andes.html
http://www.sirchandler.com.ar/2017/01/andes-recupera-sexto-md-sigue-plan-los-737-marzo/     
http://www.airfleets.net/ficheapp/plane-md80-49630.htm