ROUTE UPDATES: Argentina & Uruguay Routes by American, BQB, Gol & Iberia

The following are among the more significant route changes to air service in Argentina and Uruguay recently:

Effective     Airline          Route                  Equip       Change

28Oct12    Gol              ROS-POA-GIG      737         New Service 5x/week      

28Oct12    American     EZE-MIA               777         3rd Daily Flight until 01Apr13

01Dec12    BQB            MVD-AEP              ATR-72    New Service 2x/day 
01Jan13     Iberia          MVD-MAD             A340       Reducing from 6x to 4x/weekly 

Iberia announced that it will reduce service from Montevideo (MVD) to Madrid (MAD) from six-times to four-times weekly, effective 01Jan13 to 31Mar13 and possibly for all of the year.  The flight frequency could even see further reductions.  The drop in flights is seen as part of Iberia's cost reduction program, which includes the furlough of 4,500 employees (claimed to be 6,000 by Iberia's unions).  

Sergio Banales, president of Uruguay's Asociacion de Agencias de Viajes (travel agency association) said that this is "terrible" for Uruguay's traveling public and travel agencies as Iberia operates the only direct flights from Uruguay to Europe.  

Editor's Comment:  There are many connections to Europe available from Montevideo (MVD) through Brazil's Sao Paulo (GRU) and Rio de Janeiro (GIG) hubs but business and leisure travelers are always inclined to choose destinations with non-stop flights so incoming tourism and business travel to Uruguay will also likely be hurt.  

Source:  Aviacion News

              El Pais Uruguay 15Nov12