Argentina's downgrade in July to category 2 under the US safety assessment programme is not stopping Southern Winds from launching US flights with its own aircraft.
When Washington froze Southern Winds' request for a foreign operator's licence in March because of Argentina's likely downgrade, it looked as if the Argentine carrier would be unable to use the two Boeing 767-300ERs it had just leased from ILFC for these flights.
But now it is subleasing these jets to Air Atlanta Icelandic, which will register them in Iceland and then wet-lease them back to Southern Winds for flights to the USA. The Department of Transportation has approved Southern Winds entry into the USA on this basis. It plans services between Buenos Aires and Miami.
Source: Airline Business
