PHOTO GALLERY: Argentine Fairchild Metros - #7 of 20+ - LV-RBR (c/n AC-416)

Alas Rionegrinas Fairchild Swearingen SA-227-AC Metro III, LV-RBR, (c/n AC-416) at Buenos Aires Aeroparque (AEP) sometime in the 1990's.  (Phil Perry Collection)

Metro AC-416 was first delivered to Midstate Airlines of Stevens Point, Wisconsin, USA (near Chicago) as N177MA in 1981 and operated with the commuter airline until its closing in 1989 after which it flew as a company plane for a couple of corporate operators before finally joining SAPSE (Servicios Aereos Patagonicos, S.E.), parent of Alas Rionegrinas as LV-RBR in 1991.  

AC-416 operated with Alas Rionegrinas until its closing in 1997 and its last known location was Viedma (VDM) in derelict condition.

Photo of this aircraft operating for Midstate Airlines at Chicago O'Hare (ORD) as N177AM in August 1986:

http://www.airliners.net/photo/Midstate-Airlines/Fairchild-Swearingen-SA-227AC/0004822/L/&sid=94f4f0368bca1056966d694ed3ea6525

Source:

http://loudandclearisnotenought.blogspot.com.ar/2010/11/lv-rbr-fairchildswearingen-sa-226-metro.html

EDITORIAL: Potential Boeing 787 Routes to Argentina & Uruguay

With the ever-increasing number of Boeing 787's being delivered to airlines, new routes are opening up worldwide that were previously economically unviable due to limited demand, such as Boston (BOS) - Tokyo Narita (NRT) by Japan Air Lines and Boston (BOS) - Beijing (PEK) operated by Hainan Airlines.

The 787 is ideal for long-range routes with limited passenger traffic that until recently could only be operated by larger and less fuel-efficient airliners, such as the 767-300ER, A340-500, 747-400, etc., but that were too large for the amount of demand on such routes. 

Thinking of Argentina and Uruguay, several routes come to mind that are now served on a limited basis, less efficiently than they could be, or not served at all.      

Montevideo (MVD) - Miami (MIA) is currently flown by American Airlines with 767-300's daily in the southern hemisphere summer and 6x/weekly the rest of the year but could probably be served much more efficiently and profitably with the 787 as there are probably many dates when the present flights are not very full. 

Montevideo (MVD) - Madrid (MAD) service was dropped by Iberia in 2013 and picked up by Air Europa with Iberia currently scheduled to restart service.  If the 787 were flown on this route the service would probably be more profitable and stable and less marginal like it is now which has resulted in airlines adding/dropping the route.      

Cordoba (COR) - Miami (MIA) would be an ideal route for American Airlines with 787's.  Indeed, American was seriously looking to start this route in the early 2000's but put these plans on hold after the 2001 Argentine economic crisis.  Cordoba, with a population of 1.2 million people, is Argentina's second-largest city after Buenos Aires and is known for its universities, extensive farming and its manufacturing industry, especially automobiles.  It is also located in Argentina's geographic center with important cities nearby, such as Rosario, the nation's third-largest city which would probably provide passenger traffic to Miami flights from Cordoba. 

Cordoba (COR) - Madrid (MAD) was flown by Iberia with A340's for 15 months until January 2012 but the Spanish carrier dropped the route due to lack of aircraft and marginal profitability despite good passenger loads.  Air Europa would like to start this route through a connecting hub that it is planning to establish in Salvador, Brazil (SSA) for flights from Madrid to several South American cities but it has yet to gain approval from the Argentine aviation authorities.  This route would be ideal on a non-stop basis with the more fuel-efficient 787 probably being a lot more profitable and sustainable than the A340 was.

ROUTE UPDATE: Austral was set to introduce Buenos Aires Ezeiza (EZE) to Florianopolis (FLN) Daily Service

Austral Lineas Aereas was set to introduce daily Embraer 190 service from Buenos Aires Ezeiza (EZE) to Florianopolis, Brazil (FLN) in August.  Sister airline Aerolineas Argentinas reportedly currently operates 1x/weekly service from Buenos Aires Aeroparque (AEP) to Florianopolis, Brazil (FLN) on Saturdays using 737-700's. 

The new service was scheduled to depart Ezeiza at 23:30 arriving at FLN in the early morning and arriving back in EZE at 04:20 thus putting the aircraft to use generating revenue when normally it would be parked overnight.

However, www.flightstats.com does not show either flight operating on any day of the week as of the day of this post.  

The new flights will see an increase of the Aerolineas Argentinas / Austral group's presence in Brazil which currently consists of 88 weekly flights.

Source:

http://www.siscoma.com.ar/online/aviacion/2014/avn140501/avn-140501.html          

PHOTO GALLERY: Argentine Fairchild Metros - #6 of 20+ - LV-MGF (c/n TC-253-201)

LAPA Fairchild Swearingen SA-226TC Metro II, LV-MGF, (c/n TC-253-201) in August 1979, apparently at an airport in Florida, USA.  (Phil Perry Collection)  

This aircraft first flew in 1978 and served with LAPA (Lineas Aereas Privadas Argentinas) for only one year before joining Inland Empire Airlines of California and eventually going on to fly for Britt Airways, Air Vantage and Superior Aviation.  Its last known operator was in 2009 where it flew for Carson Air of Canada as a freighter.

Photo of TC-253-201 flying for Inland Empire with registration N5457M in 1982. Note the similarity in paint scheme to LAPA:

http://www.airliners.net/photo/Inland-Empire-Airlines/Swearingen-SA-226TC-Metro/1291631/L/&sid=b59c9f9540e9ffdb5ef63370535069ee

Photo flying for Britt Airways in 1989:

http://www.airliners.net/photo/Britt-Airways/Swearingen-SA-226TC-Metro/0057375/L/&sid=b14140d1b265558d2195bfdb87ccf7d4

With Carson Air in 2009:

http://www.airliners.net/photo/Swearingen-SA-226TC-Metro/1519270/L/&sid=6869cc91e652d022c1eabb33f3d9c9af

Source:

http://loudandclearisnotenought.blogspot.com.ar/2010/11/lv-mgf-fairchildswearingen-sa-226-metro.html

ROUTE UPDATE: TAM increased Montevideo (MVD) to Brazil Service

TAM Airlines A320-232, PR-MBH, (c/n 2904)  (Phil Perry Photo)

TAM Airlines added three more flights per week from Montevideo (MVD) to Sao Paulo Guarulhos (GRU) effective 08Jun14 for a total of 3-4 flights per day plus it added new 4x/weekly service to Rio de Janeiro Galeao (GIG), effective 30Jun14, both using the carrier's A320 equipment. 

Sources:

http://www.siscoma.com.ar/online/aviacion/2014/avn140508/avn-140508.html
http://www.siscoma.com.ar/online/aviacion/2014/avn140703/avn-140703.html

ROUTE UPDATE: Iberia reinstated Madrid (MAD) - Montevideo (MVD) service on 01Sep14

A little over a year after dropping Madrid (MAD) - Montevideo (MVD) service when the carrier was going through financial difficulties, Iberia restarted the route on 01Sep14 3x/weekly with A340-300's.  The very first flight was operated by A340-642X, EC-LFS (c/n 1122) painted in the airline's new colors. 

Iberia's flights were Uruguay's only direct service to Europe at the time that the airline dropped the Madrid (MAD) route but Air Europa and Air France came in to fill the void shortly thereafter, the latter with same plane service to Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG) via Buenos Aires Ezeiza (EZE).   

Sources:

http://airlineroute.net/2014/04/25/ib-mvd-sep14/ via Eric Trum
http://www.siscoma.com.ar/online/aviacion/2014/avn140424/avn-140424.html
http://www.siscoma.com.ar/online/aviacion/2014/avn140904/avn-140904.html

ROUTE UPDATE: Aerolineas Argentinas was scheduled to substitute 737-800's for A340-300's between Buenos Aires Ezeiza (EZE) and Caracas (CCS) but increase frequency effective 08Aug14

Aerolineas Argentinas was scheduled to downgrade the size of aircraft that it operates from Buenos Aires Ezeiza (EZE) to Caracas (CCS) from A340-300's to 737-800's, effective 08Aug14, but at the same time increase frequency on the route from 5x to 6x/week until 01Sep14, at which time the route was scheduled to go to daily service.

Source: 

http://airlineroute.net/2014/06/30/ar-ccs-aug14/ via Eric Trum

FLEET UPDATE: Aerolineas Argentinas took delivery of the last of four used A330's leased from ILFC in June

A330-223 LV-FNJ (c/n 300), the last of four A330's being leased from ILFC, arrived at Buenos Aires Ezeiza (EZE) on 07Jun14.  This aircraft was first delivered to SABENA in 1999 and also served with VG Airlines and Malaysia Airlines before the current lease with Aerolineas Argentinas.  

The other three A330-223's, LV-FNI (c/n 290), LV-FNK (c/n 358), LV-FNL (c/n 364) were all delivered to Aerolineas in the latter part of last year. 

The Argentine airline is due to take delivery of four new A330-200's directly from Airbus in 2015 and 2016. 

Sources:

http://linea-ala.blogspot.com.ar/2014/06/aerolineas-argentinas-arribo-el-lv-fnj.html
http://linea-ala.blogspot.com.ar/2014/06/otro-airbus-330-para-aerolineas.html
http://www.airfleets.net/ficheapp/plane-a330-300.htm
http://www.airfleets.net/flottecie/Aerolineas%20Argentinas-active-a330.htm

FLEET UPDATE: Aerolineas Argentinas took delivery of 737-8HX LV-FUA (c/n 40548/4995) on 19Jul14

Aerolineas Argentinas took delivery of 737-8HX LV-FUA (c/n 40548/4995), its 11th 737-800 and 33rd 737NG, on 19Jul14 at Boeing Field (BFI) from where it was flown to Caracas (CCS) and Buenos Aires Ezeiza (EZE) arriving on 21Jul14. The aircraft is on lease from Aviation Capital Group of Newport Beach, CA.

Sources:

http://www.planespotters.net/Production_List/Boeing/737/40548,LV-FUA-Aerolineas-Argentinas.php
http://www.airfleets.net/flottecie/Aerolineas%20Argentinas-active-b737ng.htm

ROUTE UPDATE: Austral started Iguazu (IGR) - Rosario (ROS) - Cordoba (COR) service on 03Aug14

Austral Embraer 190AR, LV-CHO, (c/n 395), with flaps fully-extended as it lands at Buenos Aires Aeroparque (AEP) on 22Jan11.  (Phil Perry Photo)   

Austral Lineas Aereas added a stop in Rosario (ROS) to its existing Iguazu (IGR) - Cordoba (COR) service on 03Aug14.  

The route is being flown 2x/weekly as an Iguazu (IGR) - Rosario (ROS) - Cordoba (COR) roundtrip using Embraer 190's on Wednesdays and Sundays. 

The addition of the legs between Rosario (ROS) and Cordoba (COR) comes as bad news to Rosario-based SOL Lineas Aereas that has been flying the route with Saab 340's since the carrier's inception seven years ago.   

Sources:

http://www.siscoma.com.ar/online/aviacion/2014/avn140605/avn-140605.html
http://www.siscoma.com.ar/online/aviacion/2014/avn140612/avn-140612.html

ROUTE UPDATE: SOL Lineas Aereas Adds/Drops Routes to adapt to Competitive Market Changes

SOL Saab 340A, LV-BMD, (c/n 123) at Buenos Aires Aeroparque (AEP) on 01Oct10.  (Phil Perry Photo)   

SOL Lineas Aereas has made adjustments to its route structure to adapt to changes in the competitive marketplace, mostly by Aerolineas Argentinas and sister company Austral.

SOL dropped its "Oil Route", Cordoba (COR) - Mendoza (MDZ) - Neuquen (NQN) on 01Jul14 and with Austral adding the Rosario (ROS) - Cordoba (COR) sector, which was SOL's "bread and butter" route, SOL decided to drop Cordoba (COR) altogether, shifting equipment to reinforce Rosario (ROS) - Santa Fe (SFN).

The carrier also discontinued flights to Bariloche (BRC) and Esquel (EQS) in Patagonia and Ushuaia (USH) in southern Argentina on 20May14.

SOL's route system looked like this as of late July:

* Buenos Aires Aeroparque (AEP) - Rosario (ROS), 15x/week

* Buenos Aires Aeroparque (AEP) - Santa Fe (SFN), 11x/week

* Rosario (ROS) - Santa Fe (SFN)

* Buenos Aires Aeroparque (AEP) multiple-stop route southward along the eastern seaboard of Argentina to Mar del Plata (MDQ), Bahia Blanca (BHI), Trelew (REL), Comodoro Rivadavia (CRD), Rio Gallegos (RGL), and Rio Grande (RGA) operated 5x/week.  

* Buenos Aires Aeroparque (AEP) - Villa Gesell (VLG) seasonal service (summer)

All flights are operated with SOL's fleet of five Saab 340's.

Sources:

http://www.siscoma.com.ar/online/aviacion/2014/avn140626/avn-140626.html  
http://www.sol.com.ar/site/new/
http://www.airfleets.net/flottecie/Sol%20Lineas%20Aereas.htm

ROUTE UPDATE: Turkish has switched from the 777-200 to A330 to 777-300ER on the Buenos Aires Ezeiza (EZE) to Istanbul (IST) route

During the last few months, Turkish Airlines changed the equipment it operates on the Buenos Aires Ezeiza (EZE) - Istanbul (IST) route from the 777-200 to the A330, which features Comfort Class, to the 777-300ER with the airline's new Premium Class offering.   
Source:

http://www.siscoma.com.ar/online/aviacion/2014/avn140501/avn-140501.html