JetSmart Argentina
IATA ICAO Callsign
WJ[1] JES[1] SMARTBIRD[1]
Founded2016 (as Alas del Sur)
Commenced operations10 April 2019
Operating bases
Fleet size8
Destinations13
Parent companyJetSmart
HeadquartersBuenos Aires, Argentina
Websitewww.jetsmart.com

JetSmart Airlines S.A., styled as JetSMART, is an Argentine airline owned by ultra low-cost carrier JetSmart, itself owned by Indigo Partners, a firm that also has stakes in US-based Frontier Airlines, Mexico-based Volaris, and Hungary-based Wizz Air. The airline uses the branding and corporate identity of JetSmart, its parent company, and operates a fleet of Airbus A320-200 aircraft with a base at Aeroparque Jorge Newbery in Buenos Aires. Its aircraft are registered in Argentina.

History

The airline was originally established in 2016 as Alas del Sur Líneas Aéreas (English: Southern Wing Airlines), with plans to establish a hub in Córdoba. The plans consisted of an April 2017 launch date with short-haul flights from Córdoba to South American destinations added throughout 2017, and long-haul flights from Argentina to North America, Europe, and Asia by 2022.[2] The airline planned to operate a fleet of Airbus A320 and Boeing 777 aircraft.[3] However, as the airline did not receive an air operator's certificate, the start of service was postponed. In June 2018, Indigo Partners acquired the startup airline through its Chilean subsidiary JetSmart, allowing for JetSmart's entry into Argentina's domestic aviation market, and the airline was subsequently rebranded as JetSmart Argentina.[4]

JetSmart Argentina received its air operator's certificate and its first aircraft, an Airbus A320-200 registered as LV-HEK, in December 2018.[5][6] In February 2019, the airline announced and opened reservations for its first services beginning on 10 April 2019, which were to be operated from a new base at El Palomar Airport near Buenos Aires, after its parent company had previously operated flights to the airport from Santiago de Chile.[7] The airline announced further expansion plans in August 2019, with Rosario as a new destination to launch in November 2019,[8] and that it would increase its Airbus A320 fleet to six aircraft.[9]

Following JetSmart's acquisition of Norwegian Air Argentina in December 2019,[10] the airline planned to launch services from Norwegian's Aeroparque Jorge Newbery base in March 2020.[11] As Argentina's Civil Aviation Administration had not immediately transferred Norwegian's Aeroparque-based route authorities to JetSmart Argentina, Norwegian's fleet of Boeing 737s was wet-leased and operated under a separate, rebranded entity named JetSmart Regional.[12][13] The services at Aeroparque were ultimately suspended as an impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on aviation, with JetSmart Argentina's existing services additionally relocated from El Palomar Airport to Ezeiza International Airport by late 2020. In early 2021, it was reported that the airline would not return to El Palomar and instead relocate its services to Aeroparque, with operations at the airport and new base launching in March 2021.[14][15]

Destinations

As of December 2022, JetSmart Argentina operates or has operated to the following destinations:

Country City Airport Notes Refs
ArgentinaBarilocheTeniente Luis Candelaria Airport[7]
Buenos AiresAeroparque Jorge NewberyBase[15]
El Palomar AirportTerminated[15]
Ministro Pistarini International AirportBase
CórdobaIngeniero Aeronáutico Ambrosio L.V. Taravella International Airport[7]
El CalafateComandante Armando Tola International Airport[15]
MendozaGovernor Francisco Gabrielli International Airport[7]
NeuquénPresidente Perón International Airport[7]
Puerto IguazúCataratas del Iguazú International Airport[7]
RosarioRosario – Islas Malvinas International Airport[8]
SaltaMartín Miguel de Güemes International Airport[7]
San Miguel de TucumánTeniente General Benjamín Matienzo International Airport[7]
UshuaiaUshuaia – Malvinas Argentinas International Airport[7]
BrazilRio de JaneiroRio de Janeiro/Galeão International Airport[16]
ChileAntofagastaAndrés Sabella Gálvez International AirportTerminated
ConcepciónCarriel Sur International Airport[17]
SantiagoArturo Merino Benítez International Airport[15]
ParaguayAsunciónSilvio Pettirossi International Airport[18]

Fleet

The JetSmart Argentina fleet consists of the following aircraft as of October 2022:[19]

JetSmart Argentina Fleet
Aircraft In service Orders Passengers
Airbus A320-200 8 — 186
Total 8 —

References

  1. 1 2 3 "JetSmart Airlines". Airline Codes Central. Retrieved 2 November 2019.
  2. ↑ "Destinations". Alas del Sur (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 8 March 2017. Retrieved 8 March 2017.
  3. ↑ "Fleet". Alas del Sur (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 8 March 2017. Retrieved 8 March 2017.
  4. ↑ "Indigo Partners acquires stake in Alas del Sur - report". ch-aviation. 2 July 2018. Retrieved 2 November 2019.
  5. ↑ Gimenez Mazó, Eduardo (20 December 2018). "JetSMART Argentina obtuvo el CESA" [JetSMART Argentina obtained AOC]. Aviacionline (in Spanish). Retrieved 2 November 2019.
  6. ↑ "JetSMART Argentina secures AOC, preps for 2Q19 launch". ch-aviation. 24 December 2018. Retrieved 2 November 2019.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Liu, Jim (14 February 2019). "JetSMART outlines Argentina network form[sic] April 2019". Routesonline. Informa Markets. Retrieved 2 November 2019.
  8. 1 2 Liu, Jim (7 August 2019). "JetSMART Argentina adds new routes from Nov 2019". Routesonline. Informa Markets. Retrieved 2 November 2019.
  9. ↑ Uphoff, Rainer (6 August 2019). "JetSmart to double its Argentinian fleet by April 2020". FlightGlobal. DVV Media Group. Retrieved 2 November 2019.
  10. ↑ Klesty, Victoria; Solsvik, Terje (4 December 2019). "Norwegian Air sells Argentinian subsidiary to JetSMART". Reuters. Retrieved 4 December 2019.
  11. ↑ Liu, Jim (29 January 2020). "JetSMART Argentina adds Buenos Aires Aeroparque service in March 2020". Routesonline. Informa Markets. Retrieved 29 January 2020.
  12. ↑ "Argentina imposes hurdles to LCC operator JetSMART to operate from Aeroparque". Blue Swan Daily. CAPA - Centre for Aviation. 4 March 2020. Retrieved 12 September 2020.
  13. ↑ "A fin de mes todos los trabajadores de Norwegian serán empleados de JetSmart" [By the end of the month all Norwegian workers will be employed by JetSmart]. Aviación News (in Spanish). 16 January 2020. Retrieved 12 September 2020.
  14. ↑ "JetSMART Argentina not returning to El Palomar". ch-aviation. 25 January 2021. Retrieved 22 July 2021.
  15. 1 2 3 4 5 Gimenez Mazó, Edgardo (11 March 2021). "Esta será la programación de JetSMART desde Aeroparque" [This will be the JetSMART schedule from Aeroparque]. Aviacionline (in Spanish). Retrieved 18 March 2021.
  16. ↑ Ferreira, Carlos (31 August 2022). "JetSMART confirma voos partindo do Chile e Argentina para o Brasil" [JetSMART confirms flights from Chile and Argentina to Brazil]. Aeroin (in Portuguese). Retrieved 31 August 2022.
  17. ↑ "Jetsmart Argentina adds Buenos Aires - Concepcion from late-March 2024". AeroRoutes. 26 December 2023. Retrieved 17 January 2024.
  18. ↑ "Jetsmart Argentina NS23 network additions". AeroRoutes. 13 April 2023. Retrieved 17 January 2024.
  19. ↑ "JetSMART Argentina Fleet Details and History". Planespotters.net. 28 October 2022. Retrieved 1 November 2022.
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