• Aerolineas Argentinas Tile
    Aerolíneas Argentinas
    IATA/ICAO Code:
    AR/ARG
    Airline Type:
    Full Service Carrier
    Hub(s):
    Ezeiza International Airport, Aeroparque Jorge Newbery
    Year Founded:
    1949
    Alliance:
    SkyTeam
    CEO:
    Pablo Ceriani
    Country:
    Argentina
    Region:
    South America

The Argentinian flag carrier Aerolíneas Argentinas reached a milestone in its recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic last month. Aerolíneas Argentinas successfully recovered to its pre-pandemic traffic levels, fueled by solid domestic demand, and expects to close the year with over 11 million carried passengers.

The recovery of Aerolíneas Argentinas

Last month, Aerolíneas Argentinas surpassed its pre-pandemic traffic figures for the first time in two and a half years, signaling a strong recovery of the aviation market. The carrier served 1.108 million passengers in the month, compared to the 1.106 million in October 2019, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. Aerolíneas operated 2,013 flights, with 296,314 seats available per week last month, according to data by Cirium. That means Aerolíneas had an average load factor of 84% during the month.

The carrier highlighted that the domestic segment has had the strongest recovery. In October, Aerolíneas had 7% more domestic passengers than in 2019, reaching 899,178 passengers. Pablo Ceriani, Aerolíneas Argentinas CEO, said,

“These numbers are important because they give us an insight into the growth path we are currently going through and shed light on the coming months. And we are doing this with better operational and economic efficiency.”

An Aerolíneas Argentinas aircraft
Photo: Getty Images.

What’s next for Argentina’s flag carrier?

As of November 2022, Aerolíneas Argentinas flies to 59 destinations in the Americas and beyond. This month, Aerolíneas will operate a series of charter flights to a unique destination never served by the carrier in the past: Doha, Qatar. The airline is operating several commercial services to the hub in the Middle East, carrying football fans to see Argentina’s men's squad compete in the FIFA World Cup.

Find the latest South American aviation news here.

Aerolíneas Argentinas expects to close the year having carried 11 million passengers, said the airline in a statement. The plan is to reach over 13 million travelers next year, which would mean Aerolíneas a complete rebound from the COVID-19 crisis in terms of traffic.

In the meantime, for the next few months, Aerolíneas Argentinas has stated it is in a key expansion process, with new routes and destinations such as Merlo, San Luis, and touristic routes such as the “Corredor Patagonia Fantástica” which links Puerto Madryn/Trelew with Ushuaia and El Calafate.

Moreover, or the summer season in the Southern Hemisphere, the airline has improved its point-to-point connectivity on several routes, allowing passengers to travel within the country without having to pass through Buenos Aires.

An Aerolineas Argentinas airplane carrying a container with Sputnik V vaccine doses against COVID-19, lands at the Ezeiza International Airport in Buenos Aires
Photo: Getty Images.

Argentina’s traffic stats

According to data released by the local civil aviation authorities, between January and October 2022, Argentina had 10.90 million domestic passengers. Compared to 2021 levels, that’s a 152.1% increase in passenger numbers. Aerolíneas Argentinas hold 68% of the market share in the country; meanwhile, Flybondi and JetSMART have 17% and 15% market share, respectively.

Internationally, Argentina had 6.42 million passengers in the first ten months of the year. That’s a 410.5% increase compared to 2021 when the country had severe travel restrictions to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic. Aerolíneas Argentinas remains the top player in this segment as well, with a 27.79% market share, followed by American Airlines with 16.18%, Iberia with 8.12%, and LATAM Airlines with 8.06%.

What do you think of Aerolíneas Argentinas’ recovery so far? Let us know in the comments below.