JACKSON FLORES / RIO DE JANEIRO
Local government-formed airline aims to restore waning air services amid country's continuing financial crisis
A new regional carrier is being formed by two Argentinian local governments to boost air services in the country's southern provinces.
The provincial governments of Rio Negro and Neuquén will co-finance the start-up, which is expected to launch services early next year. The airline is being structured to meet the needs of both provinces, as well as that of Tierra del Fuego and Chubut.
According to Rio Negro's co-ordination minister, Gustavo Martinez, the start-up airline will use flight crew, maintenance personnel and support resources at the disposal of the Argentinian air force-owned and managed airline LADE, while the governments of Rio Negro and Neuquén will underwrite aircraft leases. A $13 million aircraft lease proposal is being examined by the Argentinian air force for six turboprops - four 26-seat EADS Casa C212s and two 44-seat CN235-100s - and a decision is expected to be made by early October.
The move has been spurred by rapidly dwindling air transport services to the region over the past two years, aggravated by route and frequency cuts made by Argentina's major domestic carriers in the wake of the country's financial turmoil. This has been compounded by the fact that LADE has slashed essential services on loss-making routes in southern Argentina as the airline was suffering a lack of capacity to operate the remainder of its route network.
The as-yet unnamed start-up carrier is expected to launch with a 20-destination route network with hubs at Comodoro Rivadavia, Neuquén and Viedma. Martinez says that the airline does "not intend to repeat the mistakes made by Neuquén's Transportes Aéreos Neuquinos and other government-managed airlines", implying that the new regional carrier will not just concentrate on scheduled passenger and cargo services, but will also operate charters.
Source: Flight International
