Wednesday, March 10, 2021

FLEET UPDATE: LATAM Argentina A320's returning to lessors

LATAM Argentina A320, LV-BRY (c/n 1351), the first aircraft of the carrier to be painted in LATAM colors, taxis out for departure at Buenos Aires Aeroparque (AEP) on 06Aug16.  This plane and the rest of LATAM Argentina's A320 fleet will soon be returned to lessors in the wake of the airline's permanent closure.  (Phil Perry Photo)

LATAM Argentina ceased operations on 17Jun20 and was recently officially closed as a company.  

The airline's A320 fleet has been inactive since the Argentine government established a "quarantine" (since lifted) in response to the COVID-19 pandemic on 20Mar20 with some of the aircraft remaining on the ground since then with others returning to Santiago, Chile, home of the parent LATAM company.

The Argentine aviation blog Linea ALA recently published details of the whereabouts of LATAM Argentina's former A320 fleet.  The carrier also operated several 767-300's with at least a couple of them converted to freighters.

The disposition of the thirteen A320's in LATAM Argentina's fleet at the time it ceased operations last June:

* LV-GLP (c/n 1355) - This plane has apparently been in long-term storage in Santiago (SCL) since last June.

* LV-BOI (c/n 1491) - This aircraft is presently in long-term storage at Santiago (SCL) with its engines and other inlets covered.  

* LV-HQI (c/n 3319) - This aircraft is presently in long-term storage at Santiago (SCL) with its engines and other inlets covered.  

* LV-FUX (c/n 4543) - This aircraft is presently in long-term storage at Santiago (SCL) with its engines and other inlets covered.  

* LV-BRA (c/n 1304) - This aircraft was one of three LATAM Argentina A320's to be painted in full LATAM colors back in 2016 and, to the best of the blog editor's knowledge, were the only aircraft of the carrier to receive the new livery.  LV-BRA is currently in Santiago (SCL), apparently having recently arrived there from Argentina.   

* LV-BSJ (c/n 1332) - This plane is one of the three A320's to be painted in the airline's new colors.  It is currently in Santiago (SCL) having also apparently recently arrived there from Argentina.   

The following six aircraft were at Buenos Aires Aeroparque (AEP) at the time the airport closed to have its runway rebuilt and extended last year.  With Aeroparque due to become operational once again on 15Mar21, they are expected to be flown to Santiago (SCL) where they will join their sister aircraft.   

* LV-BHU (c/n 1512)  

* LV-CQS (c/n 1526)

* LV-BFY (c/n 1858)  

* LV-BFO (c/n 1877) - painted in oneworld colors

* LV-BGI (c/n 1903)  

* LV-GUS (c/n 3556)  

* LV-BRY (c/n 1351) - This was the very first LATAM Argentina A320 to be painted in new colors.  It is currently undergoing heavy maintenance at the Fabrica Argentina de Aviones (FAdeA) in Cordoba (at another airfield, not the airport with airline service).     

Source:

https://linea-ala.blogspot.com/2021/03/latam-argentina-situacion-de-los-airbus.html

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Sunday, March 7, 2021

FLEET UPDATE: First former Austral E-190 painted in Aerolineas Argentinas color scheme

The predecessor carriers of Austral Lineas Aereas were formed in 1957 and enjoyed various moments of alternating private and state ownership over the years until the carrier was finally fully absorbed by Aerolineas Argentinas with its identity disappearing altogether.

The first of  the former 26-strong fleet of Austral E-190's, LV-CMA (c/n 445), was recently painted in Aerolineas Argentinas colors.  Austral belonged to Aerolineas Argentinas during its last 10+ years of existence so its E-190 fleet was painted in a scheme almost identical to that of the parent airline with the only differences being a red stripe on the fuselage and Austral titles.  With the stripe removed and Aerolineas Argentinas titles applied, the aircraft is ready to re-enter service sporting its new identity. 

Photos of LV-CMA were published by the excellent Argentine aviation blog  www.aviacionline.com at the following link:  

Aerolineas Argentinas E-190 painted in company colors

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Saturday, March 6, 2021

ROUTE UPDATES: February 2021 - Part 1 - Aerolineas Argentinas - Cancelled 50 International Flights

Route Updates - February 2021 - Part 1

The Argentine Government's ANAC national aviation authority issued an order on 26Jan21 requiring airlines to reduce the number of flights from Argentina to Europe, Mexico and the United States by 30% and to Brazil by 50%, effective 01Feb21.

Aerolineas Argentinas 

Cancelled 50 international flights in February, including some frequencies on these routes:

* Buenos Aires Ezeiza (EZE) - Cancun (CUN)   

* Buenos Aires Ezeiza (EZE) - Lima (LIM) 

* Buenos Aires Ezeiza (EZE) - Madrid (MAD)

* Buenos Aires Ezeiza (EZE) - Miami (MIA)

* Buenos Aires Ezeiza (EZE) - Rio de Janeiro Galeao (GIG) 

* Buenos Aires Ezeiza (EZE) - Sao Paulo Guarulhos (GRU) 
  
Sources:
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Friday, March 5, 2021

ROUTE UPDATES: February 2021 - Part 2 - Aeromexico, Air France, Alitalia, British Airways

Route Updates - February 2021 - Part 2

The Argentine Government's ANAC national aviation authority issued an order on 26Jan21 requiring airlines to reduce the number of flights from Argentina to Europe, Mexico and the United States by 30% and to Brazil by 50%, effective 01Feb21.

Aeromexico 

* Mexico City (MEX) - Buenos Aires Ezeiza (EZE)

Reduced frequency from 7x/weekly to 5x/weekly, effective in February, still using 787-9.

Air France 

* Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG) - Buenos Aires Ezeiza (EZE) 

Operating 2x/weekly pax/cargo flights using 787-9 plus 1x/weekly flight as cargo-only, both in February.

Alitalia

* Rome Fiumicino (FCO) - Buenos Aires Ezeiza (EZE) 

Suspended service until 01Jun21.

British Airways 

* London Heathrow (LHR) - Buenos Aires Ezeiza (EZE) 

Service will remain suspended until at least 16Apr21.

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Wednesday, March 3, 2021

ROUTE UPDATES: February 2021 - Part 3 - Delta, Lufthansa, Turkish, United

Route Updates - February 2021 - Part 3

The Argentine Government's ANAC national aviation authority issued an order on 26Jan21 requiring airlines to reduce the number of flights from Argentina to Europe, Mexico and the United States by 30% and to Brazil by 50%, effective 01Feb21.

Delta Air Lines 

* Atlanta (ATL) - Buenos Aires Ezeiza (EZE)

Reduced frequency from 3x/weekly to 2x/weekly for at least February and March. 
Upguaged equipment from 767-400 to A330-300 in February.

Lufthansa German Airlines

* Frankfurt (FRA) - Buenos Aires Ezeiza (EZE) 

Continues 3x/weekly flights with 747-8 but with 2x/weekly both pax and cargo and 1x/weekly only cargo (still using a pax aircraft)  

Turkish Airlines 

* Istanbul (IST) - Buenos Aires Ezeiza (EZE) 
 
Reduced frequency on the route (with stop in Sao Paulo Guarulhos (GRU)) from 3x/weekly to 2x/weekly, effective in February.
 
United Airlines 

* Houston Bush (IAH) - Buenos Aires Ezeiza (EZE) 

Continues 3x/weekly flights with 787-9 but with two IAH-EZE legs for pax and one for cargo only. All three EZE-IAH legs continue to be available for pax.  

Sources:


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ROUTE UPDATES: February 2021 - Part 4 - American Airlines, Level, Swiss, Air Europa

Route Updates - February 2021 - Part 4

The Argentine Government's ANAC national aviation authority issued an order on 26Jan21 requiring airlines to reduce the number of flights from Argentina to Europe, Mexico and the United States by 30% and to Brazil by 50%, effective 01Feb21.

Airline                      Origin                             Destination                      Eff Date     Type          Frequency   

American                 Dallas - Ft. Worth            Buenos Aires                    01Feb21     787-9        3x/weekly
Airlines                    (DFW)                              Ezeiza (EZE)
*Remarks: Reduced frequency from 7x/weekly to 3x/weekly, still using 787-9.

Level                        Barcelona (BCN)             Buenos Aires                    02Feb21     A330-200  2x/weekly
                                                                          Ezeiza (EZE)
* Remarks: Reduced frequency from 3x/weekly to 2x/weekly, still using A330-200.

Swiss                       Zurich (ZRH)                    Buenos Aires                    05Feb21    777-300     1x/weekly
                                                                          Ezeiza (EZE)
*Remarks: Resumed passenger flights using 777-300 1x/weekly.   

Air Europa               Madrid (MAD)                  Buenos Aires                    08Feb21    787-9         2x/weekly
                                                                          Ezeiza (EZE)
* Remarks: Reduced frequency from 3x/weekly to 2x/weekly, still using 787-9.

American                  Miami (MIA)                     Buenos Aires                   12Feb21    777-300     1x/daily
Airlines                                                              Ezeiza (EZE)
* Remarks: Upguaged equipment from 777-200 to 777-300 on their 1x/daily flight on this route.  

Sources:
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Friday, February 12, 2021

Fuerza Aerea Argentina F.28, TC-52 (c/n 11074) still flying, one of few still in service worldwide

Fuerza Aerea Argentina F.28 Mk.1000C, TC-52 (c/n 11074) was reportedly retired in 2018 being stored at El Palomar (EPA) on 03Sep18 for preservation.  This would have made it the next-to-last active F.28 with the Argentine Air Force, after TC-53 (c/n 11020), which was retired in 16Aug19 and was thought to have been the last F.28 to have been flown by any Argentine operator.  However, TC-52 underwent another round of heavy maintenance, with its subsequent reactivation on 12Dec19 enabling it to keep flying which it is still doing to this day.     

TC-52 was recently repainted in overall dark grey colors, which has not been worn by FAA F.28's previously, as pictured at the following link: 

https://aerospotter.blogspot.com/2021/01/lade-llego-merlo.html

Its most recent flight, also detailed in the above link, was on 22Jan21 to Merlo (RLO) in the province of San Luis, to inaugurate a series of 2x/monthly flights to be operated to the airport from Buenos Aires Ezeiza (EZE) by Lineas Aereas del Estado (LADE) over the next few months.    

Sources:

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Saturday, February 6, 2021

LATAM Argentina officially permanently closed on 05Feb21

LATAM Argentina officially suspended operations on 17Jun20 (actual flights had already stopped in mid-March of that year due to the COVID-19 pandemic) and permanently closed as a company on 05Feb21.

The company press release translated into English:

"The impact that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on the Argentine subsidiary and the difficulty of generating the multiple agreements necessary to face the current situation created an extremely complex scenario, where it was not possible to visualize a viable and sustainable long-term project, causing LAN ARGENTINA SA to stop flying to and from 12 domestic destinations after 15 years of uninterrupted operation. However, the four international destinations covered by LAN ARGENTINA SA together with other subsidiaries in the United States, Brazil, Chile and Peru continue to be operated by the other subsidiaries of the group."

Source:

aviacionline.com
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ROUTE UPDATES: Aerolineas Argentinas, American, COPA, Delta, Jetsmart Argentina, LADE, LATAM Brazil/Chile/Peru, Lufthansa Cargo

Route Updates - January 2021

The following airlines / flights are confirmed to have started or re-started on the indicated dates.  Most, maybe all, of the services are the resumption of flights that existed prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Increases / decreases in flight frequency are not always verified.
   
Please note that Flybondi's and Jetsmart Argentina's domestic flights from Buenos Aires would normally fly out of El Palomar (EPA) and Aerolineas Argentinas' domestic flights would operate from Aeroparque (AEP) but both of these airports are currently closed, with EPA possibly not to re-open and AEP likely to be operational again in the coming months when the extension and repaving of its runway are complete.  In the meantime, all three carriers are flying out of Buenos Aires Ezeiza (EZE).  

Airline             Origin                      Destination        Eff Date    Type           Frequency   Remarks

Aerolineas       Buenos Aires           Cancun (CUN)    01Jan21    A330-200    3x/weekly      Increased      Argentinas       Ezeiza (EZE)                                                                                                 Frequency

Aerolineas       Cordoba (COR)        Mar del Plata      01Jan21    E-190         3x/weekly      Seasonal
Argentinas                                        (MDQ)                                                                           until Mar      

Aerolineas       Cordoba (COR)        Bariloche (BRC)  01Jan21   E-190          3x/weekly     Seasonal          Argentinas                                                                                                                              until Mar

Aerolineas       Tucuman (TUC)       Mar del Plata       01Jan21    E-190          2x/weekly    Seasonal 
Argentinas                                        (MDQ)                                                                           until Mar

Aerolineas       Rosario (ROS)         Bariloche (BRC)  02Jan21     E-190         3x/weekly
Argentinas

Aerolineas       Rosario (ROS)         Mar del Plata       02Jan21     E-190         2x/weekly   Seasonal          Argentinas                                       (MDQ)                                                                          until Mar

Aerolineas       Mendoza (MDZ)       Mar del Plata       03Jan21     E-190         2x/weekly   Seasonal
Argentinas                                        (MDQ)                                                                          until Mar 

Aerolineas       Buenos Aires            Florianopolis       03Jan21      E-190         2x/weekly   Seasonal
Argentinas       Ezeiza (EZE)            (FLN)                                     737-700/800                   until Mar

Aerolineas       Mendoza (MDZ)       Salta (SLA)         03Jan21      E-190         2x/weekly
Argentinas

American         Dallas Ft. Worth       Buenos Aires       04Jan21      787-9                            Upguage
Airlines            (DFW)                       Ezeiza (EZE)                                                                from 787-8

Aerolineas       Buenos Aires            Rio Cuarto           05Jan21      E-190         2x/weekly    
Argentinas       Ezeiza (EZE)            (RCU)
 
Delta Air Lines Atlanta (ATL)            Buenos Aires       05Jan21      A330-300    3x/weekly   Upguage 
                                                         Ezeiza (EZE)                                                               from 767-400           

LADE              Comodoro                Perito Moreno       05Jan21      Saab 340   1x/weekly      5 legs
                        Rivadavia (CRD)     (PMQ)
     
                        Perito Moreno          Esquel (EQS)       
                        (PMQ)

                        Esquel (EQS)           Bariloche (BRC)

                        Bariloche (BRC)       Trelew (REL)           

                        Trelew (REL)            Comodoro          
                                                          Rivadavia (CRD)

LATAM Brasil  Buenos Aires            Sao Paulo                Jan21                           10x/weekly    Increased
                        Ezeiza (EZE)            Guarulhos (GRU)                                                              Frequency

LATAM Chile   Buenos Aires            Santiago (SCL)       Jan21                            14x/weekly   Increased
                        Ezeiza (EZE)                                                                                                      Frequency

LATAM Peru    Buenos Aires            Lima (LIM)              Jan21                            12x/weekly  Increased                                          Ezeiza (EZE)                                                                                                     Frequency

Jetsmart          Mendoza (MDZ)       Bariloche (BRC)  06Jan21      A320              2x/weekly        
Argentina

Lufthansa        Frankfurt (FRA)       Viracopos (VCP)  06Jan21      777-200F        2x/weekly      777-200F        Cargo                                                                                                                                replacing MD-11F                                      Viracopos (VCP)     Montevideo (MVD)                                    
                                                                                                
                        Montevideo             Buenos Aires        
                        (MVD)                      Ezeiza (EZE)                                                                                                                                    
                        Buenos Aires          Frankfurt (FRA)
                        Ezeiza (EZE)

LADE               Comodoro              Trelew (REL)          07Jan21      Saab 340        1x/weekly       5 legs
                         Rivadavia (CRD)

                         Trelew (REL)         Bariloche (BRC)

                         Bariloche (BRC)    Esquel (EQS)

                         Esquel (EQS)         Perito Moreno
                                                        (PMQ)

                         Perito Moreno        Comodoro  
                         (PMQ)                    Rivadavia (CRD)

Lufthansa         Frankfurt (FRA)      Sao Paulo              12Jan21     777-200F         1x/weekly    777-200F
Cargo                                              Guarulhos (GRU)                                                    Replacing MD-11F                                 
                         Sao Paulo               Buenos Aires                                                                     
                         Guarulhos (GRU     Ezeiza (EZE)

                         Buenos Aires          Frankfurt (FRA)
                         Ezeiza (EZE)

COPA Panama Buenos Aires          Panama City         12Jan21       737-800           2x/daily      Increased                                       Ezeiza (EZE)          (PTY)                                                                                    Frequency 

Jetsmart           Buenos Aires           El Calafate            21Jan21       A320               2x/weekly
Argentina         Ezeiza (EZE)           (FTE)
   
Sources:

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Sunday, January 31, 2021

FLEET UPDATE: Aerolineas Argentinas retired 737-800, LV-CTB, from its fleet on 23Jan21

Aerolineas Argentinas 737-800, LV-CTB (c/n 30478/997), gets ready to depart Buenos Aires Aeroparque (AEP) on 19Dec18.  (Phil Perry Photo)

Aerolineas Argentinas retired 737-800, LV-CTB (c/n 30478/997), from its fleet on 23Jan21 when the aircraft departed Buenos Aires Ezeiza (EZE) to Arkansas (USA) via Salta (SLA) and Miami (MIA).  

This was the second 737-800 to join the Aeroiineas fleet when it arrived on 24Jan12, approx. one month after LV-CTC (c/n 30570/879) arrived in Buenos Aires on 22Dec11.  

Source:

https://linea-ala.blogspot.com/2021/01/movimientos-de-flota.html

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Saturday, January 30, 2021

Longest Passenger Flight in Lufthansa History - A350 charter from Hamburg (HAM) to Mt. Pleasant (MPN) Islas Malvinas / Falkland Islands on 31Jan21


Lufthansa German Airlines will operate a nonstop charter flight from Hamburg (HAM) to Mt. Pleasant (MPN), Islas Malvinas / Falkland Islands on 31Jan21 carrying a party of researchers that will continue to Antarctica by sea.  This will be the longest nonstop passenger flight in Lufthansa's history.  

A350-900 registration D-AIXP will be the aircraft assigned to the flight, designated LH2574 with the return to Munich (MUC) on 03Feb21 being LH2575. Interestingly, the southbound fight will track over the Argentine city of Mar del Plata, which can be followed at https://www.flightradar24.com/data/flights/lh2574  Social media coverage of the flight is available at @lufthansaNews (Twitter) and @lufthansaviews (Instagram) - #LHLongestFlight.

The flight will have 17 Lufthansa crewmembers plus 92 passengers, half of them being researchers and scientists from the German Alfred Wegener Institute with the other half being crewmembers of the German expeditionary ship "Polastern".  They will sail from the islands to the "Neumayer III" station on Antarctica with the institute staff spending the south pole winter there.  The flight could not operate directly to Antarctica because there are no airstrips on the continent that can take aircraft as large as the A350.
  
Lufthansa operates this flight twice-yearly in the southern hemisphere summer for the annual changeover of Antarctica-based staff, usually via South Africa, but special care is being taken this year to avoid introducing COVID-19 to the Antarctic continent, which is one of the few regions of the world that the virus has not yet reached.  This is especially important because of the limited medical facilities on Antarctica and the inaccessibility of the territory most of the year due to the brutal weather conditions.  Operating via the Malvinas / Falklands greatly reduces the likelihood of virus transmission due to no cases of COVID-19 currently on the islands.  

The flight will cover a routing 8,560 miles / 13,700 km long, taking some 15 hours to complete.  After arriving at Mt. Pleasant (MPN) on 01Feb21, D-AIXP will lay over at the British Royal Air Force base for two days as it is prepared for its journey back to Germany carrying staff traveling in the opposite direction after finishing their year of Antarctica duty. 

In addition to making arrangements with the RAF for use of the Mt. Pleasant (MPN) airbase, the German government also asked the government of Argentina for permission to land on the islands, a seemingly tacit recognition of Argentina's claim to sovereignty over the archipelago, which has been in dispute with the British since the early 19th century, culminating in the 1982 South Atlantic War resulting in a heavy reinforcement of the Malvinas / Falklands by British military forces.  The Argentine foreign office gave its approval to the German request.

Sources:

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Wednesday, January 27, 2021

ROUTE UPDATES: Argentina orders reduction of flights from Brazil, Europe, Mexico & United States - eff 01Feb21

Regularly-scheduled airline flights to/from and within Argentina were suspended in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  For seven months, only "special" flights were approved, mostly for the purpose of the repatriation of individuals that were stranded away from their home cities and/or countries when flights were suspended.  

Regular domestic and international flights gradually resumed in late October 2020 but the number of COVID cases surged in various parts of the world in January 2021, resulting in the Argentine Government's ANAC national aviation authority issuing an order on 26Jan21 requiring airlines to reduce the number of flights from Argentina to Europe, Mexico and the United States by 30% and to Brazil by 50%, effective 01Feb21.

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