The Argentine government authorized four international airlines to start operating in the country. The decision, which is part of President Javier Milei’s deregulation efforts, will allow new routes and connections across Latin America.
JetSmart Airlines Perú, Sky Airline (Chile), Arajet (Dominican Republic) and Paranair (Paraguay) will now be able to fly to and from different destinations in Argentina, according to announcements made on Monday and Wednesday by the Transport Secretariat.
Arajet will now connect Punta Cana — one of the most visited beach destinations in the Dominican Republic — with Buenos Aires, while JetSmart Perú will connect Lima and Buenos Aires.
Perhaps the biggest development is that the other two companies will connect international destinations directly with smaller cities, instead of Buenos Aires. Sky Airline will operate a route between Sao Paulo (Brazil), Santiago de Chile and San Carlos de Bariloche, in Patagonia. Paranair will connect Asunción (Paraguay) and Córdoba city.
“More and more aviation companies are starting to operate different routes throughout the country […] without obstacles, bureaucratic delays from the state or monopolies to stop them,” said Transport Secretary Franco Mogetta in an X post.
These authorizations, issued by the Economy Ministry, are part of Milei’s “open skies” policy. This initiative has allowed more foreign airlines to enter the Argentine market by removing a legal requirement that mandated that at least half of flights within Argentina had to be operated by national carrier Aerolíneas Argentinas.
Via a mega-decree issued shortly after he took office, Milei also allowed foreign planes with foreign crews to operate in the country. Minimum pricing regulations designed to prevent a race to the bottom were also abolished.
New regulations passed in July aimed to encourage the creation of more air travel routes and to make it easier for more airlines to operate in Argentina, including low-cost carriers.
The decision to deregulate the aviation market comes as part of Milei’s plan to privatize or even shut down Aerolíneas Argentinas, which he has attempted on several occasions this year to no avail. At the same time, the government is in an ongoing conflict with aviation workers’ unions, which has led to numerous strikes in 2024.
SOURCE: https://buenosairesherald.com/business/four-new-international-airlines-to-start-flying-in-argentina