JetBlue to fly 787's or A350's to Buenos Aires, Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo and Santiago ?

The blog www.nycaviation.com reports that JetBlue CEO David Barger, speaking at the IATA Annual General Meeting in Beijing on June 11, talked about the possibility of the carrier acquiring 787's or A350XWB's for flights to Latin America, but not Europe or Asia where there is already "plenty of service".   The widebody aircraft would come online sometime after 2015 and likely be used out of the airline's New York JFK hub.

JetBlue recently announced a major expansion of its international facilities at JFK called T5i, signifying international service at the airline's Terminal 5.  Several of the new terminal's gates will be equipped for widebody use.

Editor's Comments:

Looking at JetBlue's current route map, the airline flies to many points in the Caribbean, plus a few in Mexico and Central America, extending to Bogota, Colombia in the northern part of South America.  JetBlue's existing fleet of A320's can serve these adequately without adding longer-range 787's or A350XWB's so it would seem that the purpose of widebody aircraft would be to serve new destinations in Latin America that are beyond the range of the A320's, such as Buenos Aires, Rio de Janeiro, Santiago and Sao Paulo. 

Brazil, especially, would seem to be a good possibility given the large amount of passenger traffic between Brazil and the USA (about 1.4 million passengers originating just from Brazil annually).  Also, JetBlue founder David Neeleman grew up in Brazil and also founded low-cost Brazilian airline Azul, so a tie-in between the two carriers sharing each other's codes would seem to be a natural.   Finally, JetBlue already has marketing relationships with both LAN and TAM that could be used to feed each other's networks.

Researching the Internet for information on JetBlue's proposed acquisition of widebody aircraft, one member of www.airlinepilotforums.com commented that it is time for JetBlue and its pilots to negotiate a contract again and the mention of widebodies is meant to please the pilots who always love the prospect of flying "bigger metal".   Another forum spoke of the airline's possible plans to acquire widebodies back in 2010 so this is not the first time the subject has come up, lending credence to the skeptics.  However, two of the most interesting comments were also posted on www.airlinepilotforums.com noting how JetBlue has often gone after American Airlines' business:

"The aircraft will be used on former AA routes that AA will give up to JB. Just as they have always done. What routes does JB fly that were not AA or AE routes before?"

To which another member replied: 

"Agree 100%. Barger mentions South America in reference to future widebody expansion, AA's bread & butter (just like BOS and the Caribbean used to be)."

USA - South America is one of the few attractive air travel markets where there is little, if any, low-cost airline service, so it would appear that there is definitely an opportunity for JetBlue to expand here. Maybe JetBlue operating JFK-EZE non-stop is in the future ?

PLUNA of Uruguay Losing Money, Looking for Possible Bailout

    PLUNA CRJ-900, CX-CRF at AEP

PLUNA (Primeras Lineas Uruguayas de Navegacion Aerea) has been losing money on its route network for a variety of reasons that have been aggravated lately by changing international circumstances.

The carrier flies a route network based at its Montevideo, Uruguay (MVD) hub to 13 destinations; 1 in Chile, 1 in Paraguay, 2 in Argentina and 9 in Brazil.  Additionally, PLUNA flies from Buenos Aires Aeroparque (AEP) to Punta del Este, Uruguay (PDP) and the airline recently introduced service domestically within Chile from Santiago (SCL) to Concepcion (CCP), taking advantage of Chile's "open skies" policies.

Much of PLUNA's passenger traffic is connecting through its MVD hub with its most important origin-and-destination route being Montevideo (MVD) to Buenos Aires Aeroparque (AEP).    

The airline recently had its best summer ever carrying passengers from AEP to Punta del Este, the Uruguayan high-end beach resort.  This is a short route across the Rio de la Plata separating Argentina from Uruguay but PLUNA can charge relatively high fares on this route due to the premium nature of the leisure traffic traveling on this segment.   

However, the airline has been suffering financial losses recently due to:

* Increasing fuel prices
* The slowing of the Brazilian economy from a 7.5% growth rate in 2010 to
   2.7% in 2011.
* Recent Argentine government policies that have made it difficult for Argentines
   to acquire US dollars or other hard currency making international travel
   difficult.  This has caused a recent sharp drop in the number of Argentines
   traveling out of the country, impacting perhaps PLUNA's most important source
   of passenger traffic.

PLUNA joins several other carriers that have felt the effects of rising fuel prices and slowing South American economies including LAN and TAM, which saw profits drop 22% in the first quarter of 2012 and GOL Lineas Aereas of Brazil, which recently laid off 1,200 workers to cut costs.

Complicating matters for PLUNA, its main competitors are much larger airlines with greater resources, such as LAN and TAM, plus the heavily-subsidized Argentine national airline, Aerolineas Argentinas.   Also, PLUNA would have liked to develop Argentine markets the same way that it has done in Brazil where it flies to nine different airports, but so far the Argentine government has only authorized PLUNA to serve three airports, Buenos Aires Aeroparque (AEP), where it has flown for decades, plus Buenos Aires Ezeiza (EZE) and Cordoba (COR). 

The Uruguayan government has offered to assist the airline with a US$ 30 million bailout but private investors want to see credible plans for overcoming the airline's current challenges before commiting any funds (PLUNA is 25% owned by the Uruguayan government with 75% in the hands of private investment group Leadgate of which a portion belongs to Canadian commuter airline Jazz).

LATE BREAKING NEWS:  El Observador Uruguayan newspaper reported on Tuesday, 12Jun12 that the Uruguayan government and Leadgate/Jazz have come to an agreement that the private investors will abandon their ownership stake in PLUNA.   More news is likely to follow in the coming days.

Source:  http://www.businessweek.com/ap/2012-06/D9V6MBJG1.htm via
             http://worldairlinenews.com/

ROUTE UPDATE: TAM to transfer 3 out of 5 Sao Paulo Guarulhos (GRU) flights from EZE to AEP

 TAM A320, PR-MAG c/n 1832 at AEP

TAM Brazilian Airlines will transfer three out of its five daily Sao Paulo Guarulhos (GRU) - Buenos Aires flights from Ezeiza (EZE) to Aeroparque (AEP) airport, effective 02Jul12.   Aeroparque is much more convenient for most travelers than Ezeiza because it is actually in the city of Buenos Aires only some 3-4 miles from the downtown business district compared to Ezeiza, which is about 20 miles southwest of the city.

TAM Brazilian Airlines (JJ) already flies A320's from AEP to Porto Alegre (POA) Brazil and its Paraguayan affiliate, also operating under the name TAM (PZ), flies from AEP to Asuncion (ASU) Paraguay and Rio de Janeiro Galeao (GIG).  The new AEP-GRU flights will be more significant because Sao Paulo is Brazil's largest city and most important business center plus GRU is a huge hub for TAM with flights departing the airport to destinations all over Brazil plus North America and Europe.

TAM's Sao Paulo - Buenos Aires service will look like this after the change:

Sao Paulo – Buenos Aires Aeroparque:

Flight     Routing      Dep     Arr        Equipment      Days

JJ8014   GRUAEP     0715   1005       A320             Daily
JJ8010   GRUAEP     1120   1406       A320             Daily
JJ8008   GRUAEP     1830   2110       A320             Daily
JJ8009   AEPGRU     1105   1410       A320             Daily
JJ8005   AEPGRU     1505   1750       A320             Daily
JJ8015   AEPGRU     2210   0055+1    A320             Daily

Sao Paulo – Buenos Aires Ezeiza:

Flight     Routing      Dep     Arr       Equipment       Days

JJ8000   GRUEZE     0835   1125      A330              Daily
JJ8018   GRUEZE     1420   1710      A320              Daily
JJ8019   EZEGRU     1345   1635      A320              Daily
JJ8011   EZEGRU     1810   2050      A320              Daily

Source: http://airlineroute.net/2012/06/07/jj-bue-jul12/ via Eric Trum

Details on "Search and Rescue" of Missing Air Class Metro CX-LAS

The search for Air Class Metro CX-LAS started on Wednesday night, 06Jun12, at 2200 hours, two hours after the aircraft went missing, when a Uruguayan Air Force aircraft took off from a nearby air force base.  This plane was joined by the Uruguayan Navy ship ROU "Maldonado" that set sail at 0200 on Thursday morning in the direction of Isla de Flores some 10 miles off the Uruguayan coast near the aircraft's last-known position. 

Throughout the day on Thursday 07Jun12 two FAU (Fuerza Aerea Uruguaya) aircraft - a CASA 212 "Aviocar" and Cessna (no information on which model) - and an AS-365 "Dauphin" helicopter performed an aerial search.  Accompanied by the ROU "Maldonado" and two expeditions mounted by the Maritime Rescue Association, the search started at daybreak from the port of Montevideo eastwards as far as Piriapolis.

A reporter for El Pais, Uruguay's leading newspaper, was on board the last search flight of the day on a CASA-212 that departed Montevideo at 1715 hours.  Nine crewmembers - the captain, two first officers and six observers - manned the aircraft plus three reporters and two photographers accompanied the flight.

The plane flew parallel passes about two miles apart back and forth around Piriapolis Bay at a flight level of about 1,000 ft.  The observers looked out the side windows of the CASA but the flightcrew also dropped the rear loading ramp of the plane and three of the observers secured themselves to the seats and looked out the wide-open rear of the aircraft with binoculars looking for any signs of debris that might be from the Metro.   At 1812 hours with the light of day diminishing, the rear loading ramp was closed and the CASA headed back to Montevideo without finding anything.

Also joining the search were two Uruguayan Navy ships equipped with sonar, the "Oyarbide" and "Paysandu", which did "sweeps" of the sea floor, only 12-15 meters deep, in a three mile by three mile square area corresponding to the last known position of the Metro.  Unfortunately, neither ship found anything resembling remains of the aircraft or crew but will continue working throughout the weekend weather permitting.  

Should remains be found, the Uruguayan Navy ship "Vanguardia" will be deployed with divers trained to recover bodies, if necessary.  Recovery of the aircraft itself would come at a later date.  

On Saturday (the day of this writing) the Argentine Air Force was due to join the search with an aircraft searching Argentine territorial waters in the area around Mar del Plata, about 200 miles south of the last position of the Metro.  

Sources:  

http://www.elpais.com.uy/12/06/07/ultmo_645137.asp?utm_source=news-elpais&utm_medium=email&utm_term=text-link&utm_content=Extienden%20zona%20de%20b%C3%BAsqueda%20para%20hallar%20avi%C3%B3n%20desaparecido&utm_campaign=El%20Pa%C3%ADs%20al%20Mediod%C3%ADa

http://www.elpais.com.uy/120608/pciuda-645309/ciudades/sin-rastro-del-avion-perdido-en-vuelo/

http://www.elpais.com.uy/120608/ultmo-645319/ultimo-momento/retomaron-busqueda-del-avion-desaparecido-en-vuelo/?keepThis=true&TB_iframe=true&height=500&width=950&caption=El+Pa%25C3%25ADs+Digital+-+%25C3%259Altimo+Momento

http://www.elpais.com.uy/120609/ultmo-645501/ultimomomento/argentina-se-suma-a-tareas-de-busqueda-del-avion/

Air Class (Uruguayan airline) Metro III, CX-LAS, Lost at Sea

A Fairchild Metro of Air Class, a Uruguayan charter airline that operates predominantly air cargo flights, lost radar contact with ATC a few minutes after departing Montevideo's Carrasco International Airport (MVD) just before 2000 hours local time on 06Jun12.  The aircraft is not known to have landed  at any airport and is presumed lost at sea as radar contact was lost after it passed over Isla de Flores in the Rio de la Plata sea.  The only occupants aboard, the two flightcrew members, are feared to have perished.

The aircraft, Fairchild SA227AC Metro III, registration CX-LAS, was operating a cargo flight from MVD to Buenos Aires' Ezeiza International Airport (EZE) in Argentina.   It took off of MVD's Runway 24 at 1945 local time and was cleared to climb to FL100 (10,000 ft.).  After checking in with departure, the crew requested FL080 (8,000 ft.) and to turn right to the SARGO waypoint in the middle of the Rio de la Plata.  The crew acknowledged that they were "turning right to SARGO" but that was their last radio contact with ATC.  Subsequent calls by ATC went unanswered.  The aircraft's last known position was two miles southwest off of Isla de Flores and 10-12 miles offshore of Carrasco, Uruguay.

A few minutes after the disappearance of CX-LAS, Carrasco ATC contacted the Uruguayan Air Force's Rescue Coordination Center, which started an intensive SAR (Search and Recue) effort using a Fuerza Aerea Uruguaya CASA C-212 "Aviocar" and Aerospatiale AS-365 "Dauphin" helicopter with some reports suggesting that an EMB-110 Bandeirante was also involved in the search. 

The overall rescue effort is being coordinated by the Uruguayan Navy's Rescue Coordination Center as the ship "Ades 16" crewed by volunteers of the Honorary Association of Maritime Rescue is also participating in the search.  The search area extends from Isla de Flores some 100km / 60 miles east to Piriapolis, presumably in the direction of sea currents.  The crew of "Ades 16" reported that they encountered winds gusting to 40 knots and limited visibility due to cresting waves causing them to return to shore before resuming their rescue efforts, which continue as of this writing.

The AV Herald reports that the aircraft took off in icing conditions.  The weather was unseasonably cold in the Rio de la Plata region with overnight temperatures dropping below freezing at sea level in nearby Buenos Aires so it appears reasonable to consider weather conditions as a possible factor or cause.  

The captain crewing the flight is a 63 year old former Uruguayan Air Force pilot who also flew for airlines such as LAN Chile and has accumulated over 16,000 total flight hours.  The first officer is 34 years old with about 500 flight hours.

Air Class was founded in 1996 and operates four Metros registered CX-LAS, CX-CLA, CX-CSS and CX-CLS plus one 727-200F resgistered CX-CAR, all in DHL colors or similar yellow scheme.  The missing aircraft, CX-LAS, was manufactured in 1989.

Sources:         

http://www.elpais.com.uy/120607/ultmo-645137/ultimomomento/extienden-zona-de-busqueda-para-hallar-avion-desaparecido/

http://www.lanacion.com.ar/1479859-desaparece-un-avion-que-volaba-de-montevideo-a-ezeiza

http://avherald.com/h?article=450c1fee&opt=0

http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=20120606-0

http://www.airliners.net/aviation-forums/general_aviation/read.main/5483808/

http://www.airliners.net/search/photo.search?airlinesearch=%3A%28%22air+class%22+OR+%22%28Air+Class%29%22%29&sort_order=photo_id+desc&page_limit=15&page=1&sid=fa5d3885a6980a896d7976a57c4c141d

ROUTE UPDATE: Austral Increasing Flights from Buenos Aires Ezeiza to Montevideo

Effective 01Jun12, Aerolineas Argentinas' sister company Austral Lineas Aereas increased frequency on the Buenos Aires Ezeiza (EZE) - Montevideo, Uruguay (MVD) route from four weekly flights to daily service using the carrier's Embraer 190's.  The move strengthens the AR/AU hub at Ezeiza for connecting passenger traffic not just to Aerolineas/Austral Argentine, South American and intercontinental destinations but also to the EZE flights of the two airlines' fellow Skyteam members.

The airline plans to further increase service on the route to 12 weekly flights on 01Dec12.

The flight schedule currently is:

Flight       Routing      Dep    Arr      Equipment     Days

AR2214    EZEMVD    0635   0720    Embraer 190   x67
AR2204    EZEMVD    0935   1020    Embraer 190   67
AR2209    MVDEZE    1805   1850    Embraer 190   6
AR2211    MVDEZE    2030   2115    Embraer 190   x6

Source: http://airlineroute.net via Eric Trum

ROUTE UPDATE: Aerolineas Argentinas drops Mexico City service but keeps Cancun

Aerolineas Argentinas has dropped Buenos Aires Ezeiza (EZE) - Mexico City service leaving the market to AeroMexico which operates the route with 10 non-stop flights per week using 767-200's.   With Aerolineas due to join Skyteam soon, the carrier might have elected to drop service on the route to codeshare with Skyteam member AeroMexico instead once the Argentine carrier is a full member of the airline alliance.

At the same time, Aerolineas is keeping its EZE - Cancun (CUN) flights which are used primarily by Argentine tourists visiting the Mexican resort, with the following schedule:

Flight        Routing      Dep     Arr     Equipment    Days 

AR1946     EZECUN     0015   0645    A340           1,7
AR1947     CUNEZE     0845   1950    A340           1,7

Sources:  www.aviacionnews.com
              http:airlineroute.net via Eric Trum

ROUTE UPDATE: LAN to fly 787 to Buenos Aires

Catching up on some news from late March, LAN Airlines announced that the first cities it will introduce 787 service on will be Santiago and/or Lima to Buenos Aires - Ezeiza (EZE), Los Angeles, Madrid and Frankfurt.

The multinational carrier with parent company based in Chile plans to take delivery of its first two 787's of a 32-aircraft order later this year with three more examples to be delivered in 2013.  The remainder will be delivered by 2018.   LAN will be the first Latin American carrier to take delivery of the 787.

Source: www.aviacionnews.com

ROUTE UPDATE: Aerolineas Argentinas and American Adding More EZE-MIA Flights

Aerolineas Argentinas will add a second daily flight from Buenos Aires - Ezeiza (EZE) to Miami (MIA) on 01Oct12 with a morning departure from EZE and evening return from MIA, using A340-300's.  AR's EZE-MIA-EZE schedules will then be as follows:

Flight      Routing    Dep    Arr         Equipment   Days   

AR1304   EZEMIA    0845  1655       A340-300     Daily
AR1302   EZEMIA    2315  0725+1    A340-300     Daily

AR1303   MIAEZE    0945  1945       A340-300     Daily
AR1305   MIAEZE    1900  0500+1    A340-300     Daily

American Airlines will also add additional flights between EZE and MIA, introducing a third daily flight on the route on 28Oct12, probably on a seasonal basis for the southern hemisphere summer as in the past.  As with the existing two daily flights, the additional service will also be operated with a 777-200, presumably with an aircraft shifted from USA - European routes during the low northern winter season.  The flights will be morning departures from both EZE and MIA as follows:

Flight     Routing    Dep   Arr     Equipment     Days   
  
AA934    EZEMIA   1100  1805   777-200       Daily

AA999    MIAEZE   1045  2140   777-200       Daily

While both AR and AA add flights, LAN Argentina is awaiting permission from the Argentina Civil Aviation Directorate (ANAC in Spanish) to increase its 767-300 service between EZE and MIA from seven to ten weekly frequencies.

Sources: http://airlineroute.net/2012/05/29/ar-mia-oct12/ via Eric Trum
              http://airlineroute.net/2012/05/29/aa-miaeze-nw12/ via Eric Trum
              http://www.aviacionnews.com/blog

PHOTO GALLERY: Gulfstreams at Buenos Aires - Aeroparque (AEP)

Gulfstream G550, N550PR, (cn 5121) at AEP on 18Sep10.

Gulfstream IV, LV-BYC, (cn 1145), at AEP on the dark, overcast afternoon of 29Oct11.  This shot was taken at 2:00pm !

Gulfstream V, OE-IIS, (cn 572), presumably a rare visitor to AEP, photographed on 23Jan11.  

Gulfstream G550, EC-KXF, (cn 5203), lands at AEP early on Sunday morning, 06Feb11.  This aircraft has been shot at least two other times at AEP so it is apparently a regular visitor to the airport.   

Photos: Phil Perry

ROUTE UPDATE: Austral starts "Corredor Petrolero" Routing with EMB-190's Today

Updating the March 25, 2012 post:

Austral is starting today (June 1) a semicircular routing starting in COR all the way to CRD and back in the opposite direction:

Cordoba (COR) - Mendoza (MDZ) - Neuquen (NQN) - Comodoro Rivadavia (CRD) on 1,3,5 (Monday, Wednesday, Friday)

Previously it was announced that the route would start at Buenos Aires - Ezeiza (EZE) and circle all the way back to there.

The routing now has a name "Corredor Petrolero" with all of the cities on the route, except Cordoba, being a part of Argentina's oil industry. 

The new service is very similar to a route presently being flown by SOL Lineas Aereas, a small private carrier, with Saab 340's.  Presumably the airline has been successful on the route possibly giving Aerolineas Argentinas / Austral the idea of operating it themselves. 

Source: www.aviacionnews.com

Photos: Phil Perry

ROUTE UPDATE: Air New Zealand to Operate its "All-Blacks" 777-300ER from Auckland to Buenos Aires on Two Flights in September 2012

Air New Zealand will operate two charter flights carrying the New Zealand national rugby team known as the "All Blacks" from Auckland (AKL) to Buenos Aires - Ezeiza (EZE) in September to participate in a rugby tournament taking place in Argentina.  The "All Blacks" are the current reigning Rugby World Cup champions and have held the top ranking in the world for longer than all other countries combined.

The aircraft to be used for these flights is 777-319ER, ZK-OKQ (c/n 40689/984) painted in a special "All Blacks" color scheme, which is also carried by at least two other Air New Zealand aircraft, including A320, ZK-OJR and Beech 1900D, ZK-EAG. 

The "All Blacks" 777-300ER entered service on 19Jan12 on the carrier's Auckland (AKL) - Los Angeles (LAX) - London-Heathrow (LHR) route.  It is due to fly to/from EZE on the following flight schedule:

NZ ???  22SEP  AKLEZE 1940  1640      777-300
NZ ???  30SEP  EZEAKL 1100  1700+1  777-300

Photo of 777-300ER, ZK-OKQ:  

http://www.airliners.net/photo/Air-New-Zealand/Boeing-777-319ER/2063370/M/&sid=b2bc36970360382d956cd62ee12193eb

Photo of A320, ZK-OJR:

http://www.airliners.net/photo/Air-New-Zealand/Airbus-A320-232/2037983/&sid=4d803cbc0a14df887bdab7b05f8788a6

Photo of Beech 1900D, ZK-EAG:

http://www.airliners.net/photo/Air-New-Zealand/Raytheon-1900D/2101232/&sid=c9d51b7209cf978b20e767ff226bb3f8

Sources:

http://airlineroute.net/2012/05/11/nz-eze-sep12/ via Eric Trum
http://wikipedia.org
www.airliners.net