This week, Peru’s Transportation and Communications Ministry delivered JetSMART Peru the permit to operate international services from Lima International Airport (LIM), Cuzco International Airport (CUZ), and Arequipa International Airport (AQP) to four countries in South America, Colombia, Ecuador, Chile, and Bolivia. JetSMART Peru is the latest branch launched by the Chilean company backed by Indigo Partners.
JetSMART Peru reaches new heights
The new Peruvian ultra-low-cost carrier will now be able to launch international flights. Peru’s authorities have granted permission for international operations, which will be valid for four years.
JetSMART Peru received authorization to launch 15 new international routes to four countries across South America. These are the routes approved:
- Bolivia: Lima-La Paz, Lima-Santa Cruz, Lima-Cochabamba, Arequipa-Cochabamba, Arequipa-La Paz
- Chile: Lima Santiago, and Arequipa-Santiago
- Colombia: Lima-Bogota, Cuzco-Bogota, Arequipa-Bogota, Arequipa-Cartagena, and Arequipa-Medellín.
- Ecuador: Lima-Quito, Lima-Latacunga, and Lima-Guayaquil.
Francesca Luna, general manager of JetSMART in Peru, said the company is proud to have achieved this authorization in such a short time of operation. JetSMART Peru launched flights in June 2022. Part of the airline’s plans in 2023 is to operate international routes from Lima and Arequipa, thus “reaffirming our purpose to continue decentralizing and providing greater opportunity to fly at ultra-low prices, in safe aircraft, and on time,” Luna added.
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The company believes there's room to grow its international connectivity even further. Overall, the JetSMART company (with branches in Chile, Argentina, Peru, and possibly Colombia) has 16 international routes to seven countries across the region. Moreover, with the recently approved partnership with American Airlines and JetSMART’s substantial narrowbody Airbus order, the company has the flexibility to add extra capacity in and beyond the Latin American region.
JetSMART’s rivals on these routes
Overall, JetSMART Peru received approval to launch 15 new international routes. Seven of these routes already have other airlines. The services from Lima to Santiago de Chile and Bogota are the most demanded, with 86 and 49 weekly flights, respectively. These are the routes already served by other carriers:
- Arequipa-Santiago de Chile: operated by JetSMART Chile.
- Lima-Bogota: operated by Avianca.
- Lima-Guayaquil: operated by Avianca Ecuador.
- Lima-La Paz: operated by LATAM Peru.
- Lima-Santiago de Chile: operated by Sky Airline, LATAM Airlines, and JetSMART Chile.
- Lima-Quito: operated by Lima Peru.
- Lima-Santa Cruz: operated by Lima Peru.
JetSMART Peru’s current operations
According to data by Cirium and ch-aviation, the new airline currently flies 14 domestic routes in Peru, operating nearly 200 weekly flights onboard its Airbus A320neo fleet. JetSMART Peru mostly operates from Lima and has 11 domestic routes from this airport, the most important being Cuzco (three daily flights).
Francesca Luna said that the Peruvian market has been healthy for many years and that the company plans its operations in this country with a long-term perspective. “The only interruption was obviously the pandemic, but beyond that, we see opportunity in the domestic market and also in the international market,” she said.
Despite recent political events that have had an impact on the Peruvian civil aviation industry, Peru is looking to increase the capacity of its main airport, Lima International. A new terminal, runway, and air traffic control tower are being constructed at LIM to increase the airport's capacity to 37 million yearly passengers.
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Source: América Economía, ch-aviation.