ROUTE UPDATE: Avianca Argentina operating Buenos Aires Aeroparque (AEP) - Rosario (ROS) - Reconquista (RCQ) eff 17Jul18

* Buenos Aires Aeroparque (AEP) - Rosario (ROS) - Reconquista (RCQ)  - eff 17Jul18 - 4x/weekly

Avianca Argentina will start flying to Reconquista (RCQ) on 17Jul18, the fifth city on its route network, joining Buenos Aires Aeroparque (AEP), Mar del Plata (MDQ), Rosario (ROS), and Santa Fe (SFE) (flights to the latter starting on 06Jun18).

The airline's ATR-72-600 fleet, currently consisting of two aircraft with a third example expected to join the carrier soon, will operate on a Buenos Aires Aeroparque (AEP) - Rosario (ROS) - Reconquista (RCQ) round-trip routing 4x/weekly. 

Avianca Argentina has been expecting more ATR-72-600's to join the two that it took delivery of in early 2017 for some time now with A320's supposed to have also joined the fleet in recent months for international flights, but the carrier, which started service on 21Nov17, has been growing much slower than anticipated. 
  
Source:

https://vuelosyspotters.com/2018/05/31/avianca-argentina-volara-entre-rosario-y-reconquista/

ROUTE UPDATE: Avianca Argentina adding Buenos Aires Aeroparque (AEP) - Santa Fe (SFN) eff 06Jun18

Avianca Argentina ATR-72-600, LV-GUH (c/n 1395), taxis in after landing at Buenos Aires Aeroparque (AEP) on 29Mar18.  This aircraft is one of two ATR-72-600's that have joined the airline so far. (Phil Perry Photo)

* Buenos Aires Aeroparque (AEP) - Santa Fe (SFN) - eff 06Jun18 - 2x/daily

Operated with ATR-72-600's.  Santa Fe (SFN) will be the fourth airport in Avianca Argentina's network joining Aeroparque, Mar del Plata (MDQ) and Rosario (ROS).  The new flights are expected to connect at Aeroparque with those to Mar del Plata (MDQ) just as the Rosario (ROS) flights already do. 

Source:

http://www.sirchandler.com.ar/2018/04/avianca-argentina-confirma-vuelos-a-santa-fe-desde-junio/

NEW AIRLINE PLANS: Azul Uruguay launch suspended due to Azul refocus on Brazil

Azul Uruguay, the new airline which was planning to start service out of Montevideo (MVD) in March this year, was put on hold by its parent company, Azul Linhas Aéreas Brasileiras, in late December 2017.

Three new ATR-72-600's, (c/n 1342) that was to be registered CX-URA, (c/n 1360) that was to be CX-URB and (c/n 1367) to be CX-URY, were at the aircraft manufacturer's factory in Toulouse, France already earmarked to join Azul Uruguay but have since been reassigned to the fleet of Azul in Brazil. 

The start-up of Azul Uruguay was rumored to be suspended due to objections by its parent company to the certification procedures of the Uruguayan DINACIA aviation authority that took 16 months to license the now-defunct Alas Uruguay in 2015-16.  However, Azul Brazil said in a statement that the new division's start-up was due to a reassignment of resources to expansion in Brazil due to the country's nascent recovery from the economic recession of recent years.

Sources:

http://www.portaldeamerica.com/index.php/columnistas/sergio-antonio-herrera/item/25476-azul-uruguay-por-enquanto-nao-viu

http://www.siscoma.com.ar/online/aviacion/2017/avn171221/avn-171221.html

http://www.portaldeamerica.com/index.php/columnistas/sergio-antonio-herrera/item/25521-azul

NEW AIRLINE PLANS: Avianca Argentina started regularly scheduled service between Buenos Aires Aeroparque (AEP) and Rosario service today 21Nov17

Avianca Argentina started regularly scheduled service this morning from Buenos Aires Aeroparque (AEP) to Rosario (ROS) becoming the first new Argentine airline to operate scheduled service in the country since Andes Lineas Aereas and Sol Lineas Aereas started flying in 2006 and the first new carrier to start up since the Argentine public route hearings that took place on 27Dec16. 

The carrier took delivery of two new ATR-72-600's, LV-GUG (c/n 1343) and LV-GUH (c/n 1395) on 13Jan17 and 11Mar17, respectively, which the airline had only used on charters until now, such as to the ski destination of Malargue (LGS) and numerous charters for sports teams. 

Flight A0 7100 took off today from Buenos Aires Aeroparque (AEP) to Rosario (ROS) at 08:06am, arriving back from that city at 10:47am.  The second daily rotation, flight A0 7108 took off from Aeroparque at 7:27pm.    

Video of the flight by the excellent blog Sir Chandler:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T2_UkCTKocA

The carrier is slated to start its second scheduled service, which will be between Buenos Aires Aeroparque (AEP) and Mar del Plata (MDQ), next week on 28Nov17.  

Sources:

www.aa2000.com.ar
http://www.airfleets.net/flottecie/Avianca%20Argentina-active-atr.htm
http://www.aviacionline.com/2017/11/historico-avianca-argentina-inicia-hoy-sus-vuelos-regulares/

NEW AIRLINE PLANS: Avianca Argentina planning to receive 5 more ATR-72's by February plus 2 A320's in March

Avianca Argentina ATR-72-600, LV-GUH (c/n 1395), taking off from  Buenos Aires Aeroparque (AEP) on 08Oct17, apparently on a press flight. (Phil Perry Photo) 

Avianca Argentina's start-up appears to be firmly on course with the airline selling tickets on its website for its first scheduled flights from Buenos Aires Aeroparque (AEP) to Rosario (ROS) and Mar del Plata (MDQ) on 21Nov17 and 28Nov17, respectively. 

Fleet Plans

Further plans are for the airline to receive three more factory-new ATR-72-600's in December, all of which have reportedly been painted in Avianca colors with at least one having made its first flight at ATR's manufacturing facility in Toulouse way back in July.  The hold up in delivery of the aircraft has apparently been due to the carrier waiting for the start of service to be authorized before bringing the planes to Argentina. 

Two more ATR-72-600's are scheduled for delivery in January and February for a total of seven ATR's (two were delivered earlier this year).  Two each will be based at Buenos Aires Aeroparque (AEP), Cordoba (COR) and Tucuman (TUC) with one more aircraft on reserve, probably in Cordoba (COR). 

The carrier will also take delivery of its first two A320's in March for flights to Brazil. 

Avianca originally ordered 12 ATR-72-600's for its Argentine affiliate but deliveries beyond the first seven ATR's and two A320's will depend largely on which routes develop well and how many of each aircraft are needed for its route system. 

Jetstreams Gone

Avianca Argentina no longer operates any of the Jetstreams that it acquired when it purchased the Air Operator Certificate of MacAir.  The editor of this blog has seen one or two of these Jetstreams at Buenos Aires Aeroparque (AEP) in recent months but they might have left Argentina by now or perhaps have joined the fleet of another Argentine company.

Aeroparque Hardstands

The north ramp area (adjacent to the north car parking lot) at Aeroparque has typically been used for parking up to a half-dozen aircraft at a time, such as business jets and MacAir Jetstreams, but will now also be used as hardstands for Avianca Argentina's ATR-72-600's.  

Labor Unions

Finally, one of the most important matters for all of the new Argentine carriers to resolve for their operations to be viable is reaching agreement with the labor unions.  Synergy Aerospace and Avianca Argentina President German Efromovich recently stated optimistically that "We are negotiating several labor contracts, we have preliminary agreements, and we are in the final stages of the negotiations."   

Sources:

http://www.sirchandler.com.ar/2017/10/avianca-argentina-planes-los-proximos-meses-conferencia-prensa-efromovich/comment-page-1/#comments               

http://www.sirchandler.com.ar/2017/10/los-aviones-tienen-venir-avianca-argentina/

http://www.siscoma.com.ar/online/aviacion/2017/avn171026/avn-171026.html

NEW AIRLINE PLANS: Avianca Argentina starting scheduled service on 21Nov17 from Buenos Aires Aeroparque (AEP) to Rosario (ROS)

After flying several charters for Argentina's two most important professional football/soccer teams, Boca Juniors and River Plate, in recent months, Avianca Argentina has started selling tickets on its website for its first scheduled flights:

* Buenos Aires Aeroparque (AEP) - Rosario (ROS) eff 21Nov17

To be operated 12x/weekly with ATR-72-600's.

* Buenos Aires Aeroparque (AEP) - Mar del Plata (MDQ) eff 28Nov17

To be operated 2x/daily with ATR-72-600's increasing to 4x/daily on weekdays and 3x/daily on weekends eff 25Dec17 for the summer season. 

Airfares start at AR$ 1156 (US$ 66) round-trip to Rosario (ROS) and AR$ 1496 (US$ 84) round-trip to Mar del Plata (MDQ).

Avianca Argentina earlier this year took delivery of the first two of 12 ATR-72-600's that it has on order, LV-GUG (c/n 1343) and LV-GUH (c/n 1395). 

Sources:

http://aeropuertomardelplata.blogspot.com.ar/2017/08/avianca-y-su-primer-vuelo-mdq.html

https://aerospotter.blogspot.com.ar/2017/09/avianca-superclasico.html

https://aerospotter.blogspot.com.ar/2017/09/river-vuela-por-avianca.html

http://www.aviacionline.com/2017/09/avianca-argentina-desembarca-en-rosario-desde-noviembre/
http://www.aviacionline.com/2017/10/avianca-argentina-habilito-la-comercializacion-de-sus-primeras-rutas/

NEW AIRLINE PLANS & FLEET UPDATE: Azul Uruguay to take delivery of two ATR-72-600's as it prepares for the start of service

Start-up airline Azul Uruguay expects to take delivery of two new ATR-72-600's in the next month or two, CX-URA (c/n 1342) and CX-URY (c/n 1367), both apparently on lease from Nordic Aviation Capital.  A third ATR-72-600, CX-URB (c/n 1360), is reportedly undergoing flight tests at the ATR facility in Toulouse, France.         

The Uruguayan division of parent airline Azul of Brazil is going through the process of getting the aircraft certified for airline service by the Uruguayan aviation authorities and contracting personnel for the start of operations. Possible routes include Montevideo (MVD) to Cordoba (COR), Porto Alegre (POA), Sao Paulo Guarulhos (GRU), and the coveted "Air Bridge" to Buenos Aires Aeroparque (AEP).     

Sources:

https://aerospotter.blogspot.com.ar/2017/09/uruguay-se-pinta-de-azul.html

https://aerospotter.blogspot.com.ar/2017/09/roll-out-n-338-fleet-list.html

NEW AIRLINE PLANS: Avianca Argentina to request 38 more routes at 06Sep17 Route Hearings

Avianca Argentina is the only airline that participated in the 27Dec16 Argentine route hearings that will also be requesting route authorities at the second hearings scheduled for 06Sep17.

The airline was awarded 16 routes at the first hearing, mostly from Buenos Aires to smaller secondary cities in Buenos Aires, Cordoba and Santa Fe provinces that are within range of its ATR-72-600 fleet plus the much coveted and highly-profitable Buenos Aires - Montevideo "Air Bridge".   
For more details, see this previous posting:

http://argentina-airline-news.blogspot.com.ar/2017/03/new-airline-plans-anac-authorizes_18.html

The carrier will request 38 new scheduled routes on 06Sep17, both domestic and international, mostly from Buenos Aires (airport not designated), Cordoba (COR) and Tucuman (TUC) in northern Argentina from where it plans to start a regional hub.  Aircraft to be used are the previously announced ATR-72-600's plus A320's.

* "Triangle Routes"

Many of the routes will be flown on a "triangle" basis from Buenos Aires and Cordoba (COR) to two smaller cities that are usually close to each other and then back to the airport of origin.  Many of these small cities currently lack air service.  These flights would presumably be operated with ATR-72-600's. 

Examples include:

Buenos Aires-Originating

Buenos Aires - General Pico (GPO) - Santa Rosa (RSA) - Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires - Bolivar - Olavarria (OVR) - Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires - Necochea (NEC) - Tandil (TDL) - Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires - San Luis (LUQ) - Villa Mercedes (VME) - Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires - Saenz Pena - Reconquista (RCQ) - Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires - Tandil (TDL) - Tres Arroyos (OYO) - Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires - Marcos Juarez - Villa de Maria del Rio Seco - Buenos Aires  

Cordoba-Originating

Cordoba (COR) - Rio Hondo (RHD) - Santiago del Estero (SDE) - Cordoba (COR)
Cordoba (COR) - Mendoza (MDZ) - San Juan (UAQ) - Cordoba (COR)
Cordoba (COR) - Corrientes (CNQ) - Formosa (FMA) - Cordoba (COR) 
Cordoba (COR) - Posadas (PSS) - Iguazu Falls (IGR) - Cordoba (COR)
Cordoba (COR) - Villa Mercedes (VME) - San Luis (LUQ) - Cordoba (COR)

* Tucuman Hub Routes

Seven routes, both domestic and international, will be requested out of the planned hub from this city in northern Argentina.

Domestic

Tucuman (TUC) - Rosario (ROS)
Tucuman (TUC) - Buenos Aires
Tucuman (TUC) - Cordoba (COR)

International & Domestic / International Combinations

Most of these flights would probably be operated with Avianca Argentina's A320's fleet due to the long distances.

Tucuman (TUC) - Lima (LIM)
Tucuman (TUC) - Salta (SLA) - Santa Cruz (VVI) 
Tucuman (TUC) - Resistencia (RES) - Iguazu Falls (IGR) - Florianopolis (FLN) 
Tucuman (TUC) - Iguique (IQQ) - Lima (LIM) - Iquique (IQQ) - Tucuman (TUC) 

* Buenos Aires Point-to-Point Routes - Domestic & International

All of the routes below (with the exception of Cuzco) are already flown by Aerolineas Argentinas / Austral so it will be interesting to see if the ANAC will allow much competition.  Presumably all of these routes would be flown with A320's. 

Domestic:

Buenos Aires - Bariloche (BRC)
Buenos Aires - Comodoro Rivadavia (CRD)
Buenos Aires - Iguazu Falls (IGR) 
Buenos Aires - Tucuman (TUC)

International:

Buenos Aires - Bogota (BOG)

Buenos Aires - Cuzco (CUZ)

Buenos Aires - Florianopolis (FLN)

Buenos Aires - Lima (LIM)
Buenos Aires - Rio de Janeiro (GIG)
Buenos Aires - Santiago (SCL)
Buenos Aires - Sao Paulo Guarulhos (GRU)

* Cordoba (COR) Point-to-Point Routes - Domestic & International

Domestic:

All of these are currently served by Aerolineas Argentinas / Austral but infrequently:

Cordoba (COR) - Mendoza (MDZ)
Cordoba (COR) - Rosario (ROS)
Cordoba (COR) - Salta (SLA)

International:

Both services below would connect with Avianca's hubs at these airports and will presumably be approved given the present Argentine government's record of approving almost every route request connecting the Argentine "Interior" directly with foreign destinations. 

Cordoba (COR) - Bogota (BOG)
Cordoba (COR) - Lima (LIM)

All of the above flights would presumably be flown with A320's.

Sources:

https://www.boletinoficial.gob.ar/#!DetalleNorma/169233/20170816
http://www.sirchandler.com.ar/2017/08/confirmada-la-audiciencia-publica-6-septiembre-muchas-rutas-pedidas/comment-page-2/#comments
http://www.aviacionline.com/2017/08/ya-tiene-fecha-la-aeroaudiencia2017-y-se-viene-con-cada-cosa/

Azul Uruguay continues certification process - expected to fly to 5 cities in Argentina and Brazil

Azul Uruguay continues its certification process in relative silence as it prepares to start up operations in September or October of this year with four ATR-72-600's and one Embraer 190/195 from Montevideo (MVD) to five cities in Argentina and Brazil. 

The airline intends to fly the ATR-72-600's once daily each to Cordoba (COR), Rosario (ROS) and Porto Alegre (POA) and five times daily on the prized and highly-profitable Buenos Aires Aeroparque (AEP) route.  The Embraer 190/195 will be used to service Campinas Viracopos (VCP), located some 60 miles / 100km from Sao Paulo due to the stage length being excessive for the ATR-72-600's.

Editor's Note:

One wonders what will happen on the Montevideo (MVD) - Buenos Aires Aeroparque (AEP) "Air Bridge" with three airlines each operating multiple daily flights on the route; Aerolineas Argentinas, Amaszonas Uruguay and Azul Uruguay.  This brings back memories of the 1970's when the two capitals were linked by Aerolineas with 737-200's and F-28's, Austral with YS-11's and PLUNA with Viscounts.  Will there be room for all three of today's airlines on this route ?               
Source:

http://www.portaldeamerica.com/index.php/primera-plana/item/24772-azul-uruguay-plan-de-negocios-incluye-5-destinos-regionales-iniciales

ROUTE UPDATES: Avianca Argentina starts flying subservices and charters, not regularly scheduled flights

Avianca Argentina flew its first commercial services on 12Jul17 operating subservices for Andes Lineas Aereas that has been experiencing severely delayed flights, apparently due to delays in the addition of more aircraft to its fleet.   

Avianca Argentina's two ATR-72-600's, LV-GUG (c/n 1343) and LV-GUH (c/n 1395), flew from Buenos Aires Aeroparque (AEP) to Jujuy (JUJ) and Salta (SLA) respectively, in the early evening of Wednesday, 12Jul17 somewhat unexpectedly and with no prior announcement.  The aircraft operated services that would normally be operated by Andes' MD-80's or its single 737-800.

Three days later on Saturday, 15Jul17, the airline's two ATR-72-600's again flew commercial services in the form of three charter flights from Buenos Aires Aeroparque (AEP) to the small airport of Malargue (LGS) that serves the well-known Argentine ski resort of Las Lenas.  The airline reportedly has a contract to operate several more such charters through mid-August. 

It was originally announced that Avianca Argentina would start regularly scheduled services on 11Jul17 from Buenos Aires Aeroparque (AEP) to Resistencia (RES) replacing the flights operated by the ex-Macair Jetstreams that it acquired when it bought the small carrier in 2016 but scheduled flights have apparently been delayed until approximately October 2017.

Sources:

https://aerospotter.blogspot.com.ar/2017/07/avianca-de-la-mano-de-andes.html

http://www.sirchandler.com.ar/2017/07/avianca-argentina-arranca-hoy-charters-las-lenas/

NEW AIRLINE PLANS: Azul Uruguay moving forward on starting operation with 6-8 ATR-72-600's

Azul Uruguay, the planned new Uruguayan division of Azul Brazilian Airlines, has completed submitting the necessary paperwork to the Uruguayan DINACIA aviation authority to demonstrate its fitness to operate as an airline, with the Junta Aeronautica, another Uruguayan aviation agency, next in line to grant the new airline provisional operating authority. 

Azul Uruguay plans to start flying with 6-8 factory-new ATR-72-600's from Montevideo (MVD) to Buenos Aires Aeroparque (AEP), Porto Alegre (POA), Sao Paulo Guarulhos (GRU) and Cordoba (COR), probably in the second half of this year.  The carrier plans to employ many former Alas Uruguay and PLUNA employees.  

Sources:

http://www.portaldeamerica.com/index.php/primera-plana/item/24396-dinacia-se-apresta-a-autorizar-a-azul-como-aerolinea-uruguaya

http://www.aviacionline.com/2017/05/azul-uruguay-cada-vez-mas-cerca-de-ser-una-realidad/

NEW AIRLINE PLANS: Avianca Argentina to start operations on 11Jul17 between Buenos Aires Aeroparque (AEP) and Reconquista (RCQ)

First Service

Avianca Argentina will start operating as a new carrier on 11Jul17 between Buenos Aires Aeroparque (AEP) and Reconquista (RCQ) in northern Santa Fe province using ATR-72-600's 1x/daily.  

Next Destinations to Follow

The next city for scheduled service is planned to be Villa Maria (VMR) in Cordoba province followed by Villa Gesell (VLG), Mar del Plata (MDQ) and Necochea (NEC) along the coast of the Province of Buenos Aires and Tres Arroyos (OYO) and Olavarria (OVR), which are located more inland in the same province.  The latter three airports will probably first see flights operated by the ex-Macair fleet of Jetstream 32's passing to ATR-72-600's once these routes have been developed.

Concordia (COC) in Entre Rios province and Puerto Madryn (PMY) along the Patagonian coastline are slated for new service too.

Cordoba (COR) Hub

Avianca Argentina is also now stating plans to establish a hub in Cordoba (COR), Argentina's second-largest city that is well-located for hub operations in the center of the country.  Flights from COR to several cities are tentatively planned; Mendoza (MDZ), San Juan (UAQ), Rosario (ROS), Santa Fe (SFN), Santa Rosa (RSA), Resistencia (RES), Santiago del Estero (SDE), Río Hondo (RHD), Tucumán (TUC), Salta (SLA), Jujuy (JUJ) and Iguazú (IGR).

Tucuman (TUC) Hub

Avianca Argentina's previously announced plans to operate a hub in the northern city of Tucuman (TUC) are still on with the carrier planning to request routes from the airport at the next public route hearings in June / July.  The airline has not prioritized service from TUC because the airport facilities are undergoing upgrades and renovations that will not be finished until September. 

Start-Up Assets

The carrier expects to have five ATR-72-600's in service with 125,000 passengers flown by the end of 2017.  It will start service with 50 pilots and 50 flight attendants and employ 500 people directly and 1700 indirectly.

Investment 

Avianca Argentina is investing US$ 180 million to start operations consisting of six ATR-72-600's at US$ 25 million each and US$ 30-40 million in start-up costs, presumably including airport facilities, offices, training and employee salaries.

Future Plans

The next major step for the airline in the not-too-distant future is expected to be the solicitation of international routes to be flown with A320 and 787 aircraft.     
Sources:

http://www.sirchandler.com.ar/2017/05/avianca-argentina-arranca-volar-julio/
http://www.lanacion.com.ar/2026640-avianca-comienza-a-volar-el-11-de-julio

NEW AIRLINE PLANS & FLEET UPDATE: Avianca Argentina took delivery of 2nd ATR-72-600 on 11Mar17

Avianca Argentina's second ATR-72-600, LV-GUH (c/n 1395), arrived at Buenos Aires Aeroparque (AEP) on 11Mar17.  The third aircraft of twelve on order, LV-GUY, is expected in Argentina in late March or early April.    

Source:

http://linea-ala.blogspot.com.ar/2017/03/esta-llegando-el-segundo-atr-de-avianca.html

NEW AIRLINE PLANS: Flybondi and Avianca Argentina Route Approvals put on hold by Argentine Ministry of Transportation

The Argentine ANAC aviation authority route approvals stemming from the December 27 route hearings were confirmed by the Ministry of Transportation for Andes Lineas Aereas, American Jet and Alas del Sur but not for Flybondi or Avianca Argentina.

Flybondi

Flybondi's approvals are on hold until the airline comes up with more concrete plans regarding the type of aircraft that it will fly and establishes its technical competence to operate.  At the time of this posting the carrier announced that it plans to start service with the 737-800.  No specific order or lease plans were announced but the company has apparently come to a customer support agreement with Boeing and plans to negotiate the acquisition of aircraft for the start of service in the second half of 2017.  

Julian Cook, Flybondi's CEO, further commented that the carrier will soon start negotiations for the acquisition of 50 Boeing 737 MAX 200's, which is a new variant of the 737 MAX series launched for Ryanair that can hold up to 200 seats.  

Avianca Argentina

Avianca Argentina's plans are suspended because the carrier established itself in Argentina through the purchase in 2016 of the air operator certificate of Macair, a small charter and contract carrier, owned by Argentine President Mauricio Macri's family.  There are suspicions on the part of some parties, generally those of the political opposition, that the president's family has retained a financial stake in the new carrier, which would be a potential conflict of interest since the president is the key figure in determining Argentine national air policy and could inappropriately favor Avianca Argentina.  An investigation is underway. 

Avianca CEO German Efromovich has questioned the delay and has reportedly threatened to sue the Argentine government if the delay goes on for an indefinite amount of time.  In any case, the airline plans to start flying charters immediately with its two recently delivered ATR-72-600's.  

La Nacion newspaper recently revealed that Avianca bought Macair (in early 2016) for US$ 10 million to be paid in installments by 2018, with the purchase including the transfer of Macair's Air Operator Certificate, the company's hangar at Buenos Aires Aeroparque (AEP) and five aircraft (presumably its fleet of five Jetstream 32's).       

Sources:

http://www.lanacion.com.ar/1990552-el-gobierno-postego-el-ingreso-de-avianca-al-mercado-low-cost-hasta-que-se-resuelva-el-conflicto-judicial
http://www.siscoma.com.ar/online/aviacion/2017/avn170309/avn-170309.html
http://www.siscoma.com.ar/online/aviacion/2017/avn170316/avn-170316.html

NEW AIRLINE PLANS: Avianca Argentina Tucuman (TUC) Hub Plans & Receives First ATR-72-600

The formation of Avianca Argentina was announced in early 2016 with plans to start service in 2017 using six ATR-72-600's focusing on hubs in Buenos Aires Aeroparque (AEP) and Cordoba (COR) on the basis of a US$ 320 million investment.  

Tucuman (TUC) Hub 

There have been new developments since then including plans to establish a hub at the airport of the northern Argentine city of Tucuman (TUC) using 3-4 ATR-72-600's operating up to 25 daily flights connecting cities in central and eastern Argentina with northern and western communities, including Salta (SLA) 5x/day, Cordoba 3x/day, Catamarca (CTC), La Rioja (IRJ), Mendoza (MDZ), Posadas (PSS), Puerto Iguazu (IGR), Resistencia (RES), Rosario (ROS), San Juan (UAQ), and Santiago del Estero (SDE). 

International connections would also be operated, including Asuncion (ASU), Florianopolis (FLN), Santa Cruz de la Sierra (VVI) and possibly Iguique (IQQ) and Lima (LIM), the latter presumably by sister carrier Avianca Peru using ERJ-190's. 

The Tucuman (TUC) hub would start in July 2017 after a 90-day period during which the airport would be closed while it underwent a major maintenance and upgrade project.

Tucuman Subsidy & Potential Problems

Establishing the hub would entail a US$ 80 million investment and create 250 jobs with the province of Tucuman providing US$ 5-15 million in guarantees for flights falling short of 65% load factors.  

This subsidy might run into opposition from the Argentine national government, which is trying to move away from the heavy subsidies of various industries by the previous presidency, especially with regard to air transportation where Aerolineas Argentinas has received billions (thousands of millions) of US$ in subsidies since its re-nationalization in 2008.  Also, other carriers serving Tucuman (TUC) might demand equal treatment although the Tucuman government has responded that they offered other airlines similar incentives as Avianca Argentina to operate on less-traveled routes but the carriers were only interested in flying the profitable mainline trunk routes between major cities. 
    
Public Route Hearings - December 27

Most recently, Avianca Argentina, along with four other airlines; Alas del Sur, American Jet, Andes Lineas Aereas and Flybondi, submitted route requests at public route hearings conducted by the ANAC Argentine aviation authority on December 27.    

Surprisingly, the 16 routes that Avianca Argentina requested did not include any flights to the proposed Cordoba (COR) and Tucuman (TUC) hubs, much less the multiple services that would be consistent with hub operations, with the focus instead being on flights emanating from Buenos Aires.  However, there will apparently be a second round of hearings in March, during which routes from Cordoba (COR) and Tucuman (TUC) are expected to be requested, probably for starting service later in the year after the Buenos Aires routes have been established.       

The routes requested on December 27: 

1) BUENOS AIRES – SANTA FE – BUENOS AIRES

2) BUENOS AIRES – ROSARIO – BUENOS AIRES

3) BUENOS AIRES – PUERTO MADRYN – BUENOS AIRES

4) BUENOS AIRES – VIEDMA – PUERTO MADRYN – BUENOS AIRES

5) BUENOS AIRES – MAR DEL PLATA – BUENOS AIRES

6) BUENOS AIRES – PUERTO MADRYN – COMODORO RIVADAVIA – PUERTO MADRYN – BUENOS AIRES

7) BUENOS AIRES – MONTEVIDEO – BUENOS AIRES

8) BUENOS AIRES – SAN LUIS – RÍO CUARTO – BUENOS AIRES

9) BUENOS AIRES – SANTA ROSA – BUENOS AIRES

10) BUENOS AIRES – BAHÍA BLANCA – BUENOS AIRES

11) BUENOS AIRES – CONCORDIA – PASO DE LOS LIBRES – BUENOS AIRES

12) BUENOS AIRES – CONCORDIA – PARANÁ – BUENOS AIRES

13) BUENOS AIRES – PORTO ALEGRE – BUENOS AIRES

14) BUENOS AIRES – SUNCHALES – RECONQUISTA – SUNCHALES – BUENOS AIRES

15) BUENOS AIRES – TANDIL – BUENOS AIRES

16) BUENOS AIRES – SUNCHALES – VILLA MARÍA – BUENOS AIRES

First ATR-72-600 Delivered

Avianca Argentina's first ATR-72-600, LV-GUG (c/n 1343) arrived at Buenos Aires Aeroparque (AEP) on the evening of 18Jan17 from Punta del Este (PDP) where it had laid over the previous night on its multi-stop delivery flight from the Aerospatiale factory in Toulouse, France.  

Sources:

http://www.siscoma.com.ar/online/aviacion/2016/avn161117/avn-161117.html
http://www.siscoma.com.ar/online/aviacion/2016/avn161124/avn-161124.html
http://www.puntal.com.ar/noticia.php?id=230512
http://www.siscoma.com.ar/online/aviacion/2016/avn161201/avn-161201.html
http://www.sirchandler.com.ar/2016/11/tucuman-firma-acuerdo-avianca-armar-hub/
http://www.aviacionline.com/2016/11/avianca-argentina-instalara-un-hub-en-tucuman/
http://www.sirchandler.com.ar/2016/12/todos-los-pedidos-oficiales-nuevas-rutas-volar-la-argentina/
http://www.siscoma.com.ar/online/aviacion/2016/avn161229/avn-161229.html
http://linea-ala.blogspot.com.ar/2017/01/llego-la-argentina.html

NEW AIRLINE PLANS: Avianca officially names Argentine affiliate Avian Lineas Aereas, orders 12 ATR-72-600's

Synergy Aerospace, majority owner of Avianca, announced at the annual ALTA Leaders' Forum (Latin American airlines association) in Mexico City today, that its Argentine affiliate, announced earlier this year, will be officially named Avian Lineas Aereas. 

The group also announced, as previously intended, that it placed an order for 12 ATR-72-600's with options on six more directly from the manufacturer with the first delivery expected before the end of 2016 and all 12 in service by January 2018.  

The carrier plans to focus operations on Buenos Aires Aeroparque (AEP) and Cordoba (COR), the latter serving Argentina's second largest city and with a central geographical location that is suitable for hub operations.   

The carrier's marketing strategy will be "linking under-served communities in Argentina", not so much competing directly with the established carriers, Aerolineas Argentinas and LATAM Argentina. 

Service is expected to start in the first quarter of 2017, which is a surprise to the editor of this blog, since the carrier has apparently not even applied for any route rights yet.  

Sources:

https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/synergy-buys-up-to-18-atr-72-600s-for-argentine-subs-431469/ 
http://www.lanacion.com.ar/1956485-avianca-compro-12-aviones-para-empezar-a-operar-en-el-pais

NEW AIRLINE PLANS: Avianca puts plans for new Argentina affiliate on hold

Avianca, which planned to start a low-cost Argentine affiliate before the end of 2016, has put those plans on hold until at least 2017 and is reportedly reconsidering the projected airline altogether.      

Avianca seemed to be well on its way to establishing an Argentine operation with the purchase of the small Argentine carrier Macair Jet, interviews with prospective staff and plans to initially place six ATR-72's in service, but the airline has encountered an operating environment in Argentina that it apparently doubts will allow it to successfully establish a low-cost carrier there.

Factors that Avianca perceives as roadblocks include:

* High airport taxes and excessive aeronautical infrastructure fees compared to other countries.

* The mandatory use of Intercargo, the state-owned airport ground handling operator, with its monopolistic fees and practices.

* An Argentine airline labor market characterized by high employee wage scales and low-productivity work rules as benchmarked by Aerolineas Argentinas, the market leader, which would likely lead to substantial resistance to the lower-wage, higher productivity work rules prevalent at low-cost carriers that Avianca would probably want to implement.

* Likely opposition from Aerolineas Argentinas' management and labor to a low-cost carrier in the Argentine domestic market, the only market where Aerolineas makes money (its regional South American flights are marginally profitable at best and its long-haul intercontinental routes are big losers).

* Likely resistance by the Argentine government to a free pricing environment where low-cost carriers typically drop fares to very low levels to stimulate travel and make money on a high-volume, thin-margin passenger traffic profile.  Such a pricing policy, without the  minimum airfare "bands" that exist now, would lead to even larger losses at Aerolineas Argentinas than the already massive deficits of recent years, which the government (and taxpayers) are no longer willing to tolerate.         

           

Avianca has not cancelled plans to start a low-cost carrier in Argentina and might still go ahead with the operation.  The coming months should give a better idea of what to expect.    

Sources:

http://www.lanacion.com.ar/1926849-avianca-retrasa-su-llegada-a-la-argentina

http://www.portaldeamerica.com/index.php/columnistas/luis-alejandro-rizzi/item/23169-efromovich-demora-o-revision-de-la-decision

NEW AIRLINE PLANS: AVIANCA buys Macair Jet to enter Argentina Domestic Airline Market

Macair Jet BAe Jetstream 32EP, LV-ZPW (c/n 861) at Buenos Aires Aeroparque (AEP) on 17Mar16.  (Phil Perry Photo) 

The parent company of AVIANCA Colombian airlines, also with affiliates in Brazil, Ecuador, Peru, Costa Rica and El Salvador, recently purchased Macair Jet of Argentina with the apparent intent of gaining a foothold from which to launch an Argentine affiliate.    

MACAIR JET

Macair Jet is an air taxi operator which has also operated scheduled operations on a subcontract basis for Lineas Aereas Entre Rios between Buenos Aires Aeroparque (AEP) and Entre Rios province, including Concordia (COC) and Parana (PRA) with 19-seat Jetstreams, plus it even flew an MD-87 for AeroChaco on charter services.  The attraction for AVIANCA is MacAir's air operator certificate and ready ability to apply for route rights in Argentina's domestic market.  The company belongs to Franco Macri, father of Argentine president Mauricio Macri. 

SOL LINEAS AEREAS

AVIANCA could have tried to purchase other Argentine airline operations, such as the recently dormant Sol Lineas Aereas, but this carrier has a significant amount of debt plus soured labor relations with its employees.  

AUSTRAL LINEAS AEREAS

The idea of AVIANCA purchasing the Austral unit of the Aerolineas Argentinas group was also floated, which was supported by Austral's pilots as a way of returning the carrier to private independent ownership as it was prior to its takeover by Aerolineas in 1980, but this would have been a long and complex process that AVIANCA was not interested in pursuing.  

START-UP PLANS

AVIANCA reportedly intends to start service in Argentina with six ATR-72-600 aircraft, quickly building up to 18 ATR's for a domestic operation centered in Argentina's second largest city, the centrally-located Cordoba (COR).  The idea would be to start slowly, reportedly to give the state-owned airlines, Aerolineas Argentinas and Austral, a couple of years to become more competitive as they increase efficiency under the leadership designated by the new Argentine presidential administration.  Eventually AVIANCA's Argentine affiliate would upgrade to jet service.      

For the carrier to acquire route rights beyond the few that Macair Jet currently has to the small markets of Goya (OYA), Reconquista (RCQ), Sunchales (NCJ), and Villa Maria (VMA), the Argentine government would need to call for an "Audiencia Publica", roughly translated as a call for proposals for new service in the country.  Some media have indicated that the airline might even aspire to operate some low-density routes for Aerolineas Argentinas that have too little traffic to justify the use of 100-seat Embraer 190's, which are the current smallest aircraft of sister carrier Austral.    

AVIANCA CEO German Efromovich has indicated that the carrier would like the new Argentine division of AVIANCA to feed the other divisions' existing flights from Buenos Aires Ezeiza (EZE) to Lima (LIM) and Bogota (BOG) plus possible new services to Cordoba (COR) and Mendoza (MDZ) and by AVIANCA Brasil between Argentina and Brazil.  

With AVIANCA starting service in Argentina, the country would become one of a relatively few nations with all three major world alliances with a member operating domestic service; Star Alliance (AVIANCA), oneworld (LAN Argentina), and Skyteam (Aerolineas Argentinas / Austral).      
AVIANCA is rumored to have interviewed 160 recently unemployed Sol employees.  

Sources:

http://www.siscoma.com.ar/online/aviacion/2016/avn160428/avn-160428.html
http://www.siscoma.com.ar/online/aviacion/2016/avn160421/avn-160421.html
http://www.siscoma.com.ar/online/aviacion/2016/avn160407/avn-160407.html
http://aerospotter.blogspot.com.ar/2016/04/los-planes-de-avianca-en-argentina.html
http://www.siscoma.com.ar/online/aviacion/2016/avn160324/avn-160324.html
http://hsbnoticias.com/noticias/economia/avianca-confirmo-compra-de-macair-aerolinea-de-la-familia-de-195456
http://www.lanacion.com.ar/1881840-avianca-confirmo-que-compro-macair-la-aerolinea-de-la-familia-macri

http://www.siscoma.com.ar/online/aviacion/2016/avn160317/avn-160317.html

http://www.siscoma.com.ar/online/aviacion/2016/avn160303/avn-160303.html