This week, LATAM Brasil launched the new route between Rio de Janeiro Galeão International Airport (GIG) and Buenos Aires Jorge Newbery Airfield (AEP). With the opening of this new service, the carrier expects to operate over 200 flights between Brazil and Argentina, doubling the flights it had last year.
LATAM: increasing connectivity between Brazil and Argentina
On Sunday, LATAM Brasil inaugurated the direct flight Rio de Janeiro/Galeão-Buenos Aires, which reduces the total travel time between these two key South American cities by at least two hours compared to a flight with layovers. These commercial services to the Jorge Newbery Airfield recorded an average load factor of 80%, said the airline in a statement.
Moreover, LATAM is already planning to resume another route between Rio de Janeiro and Buenos Aires, connecting Galeão with Buenos Aires’ main international gateway, Ezeiza International Airport (EZE). This point-to-point route was suspended in April 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
LATAM Brasil is deploying its Airbus A320 fleet, with a capacity for 176 passengers in a two-class configuration (eight in the premium economy cabin and 168 in economy). The flights from Rio de Janeiro/Galeão depart on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays at 17:55, local time. The service lasts three hours and 20 minutes. From Jorge Newbery Airfield, the flights are two hours 55 minutes in duration and take off on the same days at 10:00 local time.
Photo: LATAM.
Returning to Ezeiza
Next month, as of December 16, LATAM will begin flying again from Rio de Janeiro to Ezeiza. These flights will be operated five times a week on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays. LATAM will also deploy its Airbus A320 aircraft for these services.
Aline Mafra, LATAM Brasil’s Director of Sales and Marketing, said that Rio de Janeiro ranks second among the airports with international flights for the company, after Sao Paulo Guarulhos International (GRU).
“After improving our operational efficiency and developing the domestic market, we were able to work harder on the sustainable resumption of our international connectivity, implementing a diversification of airports with routes abroad and providing better options to our customers,” Aline Mafra added.
Photo: Airbus.
Improving connectivity to Argentina
LATAM Brazil is looking to increase its connectivity to Argentina heavily. The international market between both countries is among the most important throughout the Americas. While the COVID-19 pandemic profoundly impacted it, most airlines are seeing an increase in demand from Brazilians and Argentinians to visit one another. For instance, earlier this year, GOL and Aerolíneas Argentinas deepened their codeshare and launched an air bridge between Guarulhos and Aeroparque.
By November 2022, LATAM Brasil will have more than 200 flights between the countries, a volume that is almost double that of the same month in 2021. Besides the new flights on the Rio de Janeiro/Galeão-Buenos Aires/Aeroparque route (three weekly flights), the growth of Brazil-Argentina operations in the last 12 months is the result of the increase of flights on the São Paulo/Guarulhos-Buenos Aires/Aeroparque route (three to 18 weekly flights). Flights to Buenos Aires/Ezeiza (seven weekly flights) and Mendoza (four weekly flights) from São Paulo/Guarulhos are also operated between the countries.
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Source: simpleflying.com
